G  000  083  220  4 


Charles  Jewett 


Life  and  Recollections 


Jl^\M^^'$M\^:sJ:\v.v,\-§SI 


N 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 
LOS  ANGELES 


'-.  ;  -\ 


INTRODUCTION. 


The  Life  of  Dr.  Jewett  is  not  a  mere  record 
of  his  labors  in  the  Temperance  Reform.  His 
precocious  boyhood;  his  struggles  for  a  liveli- 
hood and  education;  his  early  hardships;  his 
brilliant  scholarship;  his  skill  in  the  Fine  Arts, 
as  music,  poetry,  drawing,  and  oratory;  his  in- 
ventive genius;  his  success  as  a  physician;  his 
experience  in  agriculture  and  horticulture;  his 
pioneer  life  in  the  far  West;  his  tact  as  a  lec- 
turer, teacher,  and  preacher;  his  efficient  service 
in  the  church,  together  v^ith  his  wit,  humor, 
talents,  and  aptitude  in  every  relation,  —  all 
constitute  a  remarkable  career,  outside  of  his 
temperance  work. 
TZ  It  has  not  been  an  easy  task  to  produce  on 
paper  the  real  life  of  such  a  man  as  Dr.  Jewett, 
so  versatile,  humorous,  and  genial;  all  of  whose 
acts  were  made  specially  emphatic  by  his  pres- 
ence and  manners.  The  volume  needs  that 
wonderful    eye    of  his,  which  possessed  more 


LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 


language  than  the  eye  of  any  man  whom  we 
ever  knew.  He  spoke  with  his  eye.  Ke 
laughed  with  his  eye.  He  joked  with  his  eye. 
He  pleaded  with  his  eye.  He  hurled  sarcasm 
and  invective  with  his  eye. 

We  have  known  men  of  marked  versatility 
of  talents  and  genius,  but  never  one  among  them 
possessing  a  larger  variety  of  natural  gifts,  qual- 
ified even  by  nature  to  succeed  and  shine  in 
so  many  positions,  with  such  seeming  contradic- 
tion of  qualities;  so  intensely  witty  and  pro- 
foundly wise,  so  merry  and  serious  at  so  nearly 
the  same  time;  appropriating  humor  and  solem- 
nity with  equal  fervor,  his  soul  as  elastic  as  rub- 
ber, yet  solid  as  granite- — all  apart  from  literary 
culture.  Add  to  this  native  versatility  the  re- 
finement and  charm  of  intellectual  growth,  and 
we  have  a  bird's-eye  view  of  Dr.Jewett  as  he 
was.  Think  of  one  man  as  a  physician,  artist, 
agriculturist,  horticulturist,  inventor,  temperance 
lecturer,  mechanic,  music-teacher,  pioneer,  leg- 
islator, professor  of  chemistry.  Sabbath-school 
teacher  and  superintendent  and  preacher;  and 
in  all  these  relations  successful!  Tuckerman's 
description  of  S3alney  Smith  is  such  an  exact 
portrait  of  Dr.  Jewett  that  no  language  of  ours 
is  so  much  to  the  point.     He  says: 


INTR  OD  UC  TION, 


5 


"  A  pioneer  of  national  reforms,  without  acrimony  or 
fanaticism  ;  prompt  to  *set  the  table  in  a  roar/  yet 
never  losing  self-respect,  or  neglecting  the  essential 
duties  of  life  ;  capable  of  the  keenest  satire,  yet  instinc- 
tively considerate  of  the  feelings  of  others  ;  the  admired 
guest,  yet  contented  in  domestic  retirement ;  born  to 
grace  society,  and  at  the  same  time  the  idol  of  home. 

"  In  him,  first  of  all  and  beyond  all,  is  manhood, 
which  no  skill  in  pen-craft,  no  blandishment  of  fame 
or  love  of  pleasure,  was  suffered  to  overlay  for  a  mo- 
ment. To  be  a  man  in  courage,  generosity,  stern  faith 
to  every  domestic  tie  and  professional  claim,  in  the  fear 
of  God  and  love  of  his  kind,  in  loyalty  to  personal  con- 
victions, bold  speech,  candid  life,  and  good-fellowship — 
this  was  the  necessity,  the  normal  condition,  of  his 
nature.  ...  It  made  him  an  architect,  a  physician,  a 
judge,  a  schoolmaster,  a  critic,  a  reformer,  the  choicest 
man  of  society,  the  most  efficient  of  domestic  econo- 
mists, the  best  of  correspondents,  the  most  practical  of 
writers,  the  most  genial  of  companions,  a  good  farmer, 
a  patient  nurse,  and  an  admirable  husband,  father,  and 
friend.  The  integrity,  good  sense,  and  moral  energy 
which  gave  birth  to  this  versatile  exercise  of  his  facul- 
ties, constitute  the  broad  and  solid  foundation  of  his 
character ;  they  were  the  essential  traits  of  the  man, 
the  base  to  that  noble  column  of  which  wit  formed  the 
capital  and  wisdom  the  shaft." 

Dr.  Jewett  came  upon  the  stage  of  active  ser- 
vice when  he  was  needed  for  a  special  work. 
Born  with  singular  tact,  wit,  and  ingenuity,  as 
well  as    marked   talents,    invincible   will,   and 


TFE    OF   CHARLES  JEWETT. 


humane  feelings,  culture  easily  fitted  him  for 
"  the  niche  he  was  ordained  to  fill."  Starting 
out,  not  for  wealth  or  fame,  but  at  the  call  of 
Duty,  he  accomplished  m.ost  for  himself  by 
doing  what  he  could  for  God  and  humanity.  Be- 
lieving that  "  our  reward  is  in  the  race  we  run," 
he  bent  all  his  energies  to  the  race,  and  thereby 
became  an  accumulatinsr  force  in  the  social  and 

o 

moral  progress  of  his  time.  Discarding  the  pop- 
ular ideas  about  "  luck,"  "  accident,"  and  "  for- 
tune," he  never  became  the  "sport  of  circum- 
stances," but  their  master.  Like  all  great,  good 
men,  he  did  not  stand  so  much  for  the  dignity 
of  his  work  as  he  did  for  its  fitness  and  quality. 
Unlike  many  public  men,  who  are  found  both 
for  and  against  the  same  principles  at  different 
periods,  he,  from  first  to  last,  with  single  pur- 
pose and  persistent  labor,  defended  the  same 
principles,  for  the  reason  that  his  Christian  heart 
controlled  his  intellect,  and,  with  it,  stood  firmly 
for  the  right. 

The  period  covered  by  Dr.  Jewett's  public 
career  was  the  most  exciting  and  marvellous  of 
our  nation's  history;  and  he  participated  per- 
sonally in  the  grand  contest.  The  Anti-Slavery 
and  Temperance  reforms  began  in  his  early 
manhood.      The   Kansas   and    Nebraska    con- 


INTRODUCTION. 


flicts  enlisted  his  whole  heart.  The  war  against 
slavery  in  the  District  of  Columbia,  the  opposi- 
tion to  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law  and  the  rendi- 
tion of  runaway  slaves,  drew  largely  upon  his 
humanity.  The  era  of  the  Prohibitory  Liquor 
Law  occupied  the  best  half  of  his  public  ser- 
vice. The  late  "Civil  War"  absorbed  his 
whole  soul,  and  he  was  an  important  actor  in 
its  scenes.  The  amazing  progress  of  the  Arts 
and  Sciences  in  the  last  half  centur}^'  deeply  in- 
terested him,  and  he  kept  posted  therein.  A 
man  of  such  intense  personality,  humane  sen- 
timents, and  practical  knowledge,  could  not 
mingle  in  such  unusual  scenes  without  invest- 
ing his  life  w^ith  a  kind  of  fascination. 

Most  men  of  mark  infuse  their  own  leading 
qualities  into  whatever  they  do.  Dr.  Jewett 
was  pre-eminent  in  this  regard.  His  speeches, 
writings,  acts,  conversations,  letters,  and  verbal 
counsels,  all  were  permeated  by  his  wit,  humor, 
logic,  and  genial  nature.  A  vein  of  pleasantry, 
like  a  ray  of  sunshine,  enlivens  his  life  from 
childhood  to  asre. 

Incidents  in  the  life  of  such  a  man,  next  to 
his  actual  presence,  show  what  the  man  is; 
therefore  we  let  them  tell  much  of  the  story.  A 
human  life  was  never  more  crowded  with  inci- 


LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 


dents  than  Dr.  Jewett's.  From  boyhood  to  the 
end  of  life,  varying  and  fascinating  as  pictures  of 
the  kaleidoscope,  the  scenes  of  his  life  multiply. 

The  task  of  preparing  this  work  has  been 
more  difficult  because  Dr.Jewett  was  not  in  the 
habit  of  preserving  documents.  It  was  more 
convenient,  in  his  itinerant  life,  to  commit  let- 
ters, articles  for  the  press,  newspaper  notices, 
and  reports  of  lectures,  to  the  flames,  or  send 
them  to  the  paper-mill,  than  to  be  burdened  with 
their  preservation.  Friendly  hands,  however, 
preserved  valuable  correspondence,  newspaper 
articles,  &c.,  which  we  have  found  of  great 
value  in  our  work.  Neither  did  he  keep  a 
diary.  He  believed  in  deeds  rather  than  the 
record  of  them.  The  latter  was  too  small  a 
matter  for  him  to  think  of  in  his  earnest,  matter- 
of-fact  methods.  A  small  percentage  of  per- 
sonal ambition  to  be  chronicled  after  death, 
would  have  insured  the  careful  preservation  of 
important  material. 

The  public  appreciation  of  an  intensely 
interesting  and  useful  life,  and  Dr.  Jewett's 
unselfish  use  of  his  powers  to  make  the  most 
of  life  by  making  the  most  of  himself,  have 
made  his  biography  a  necessity  in  the  literature 
of  the  land. 


CONTENTS. 


rAGS 

Introduction, ••••  3 

I. 
Jewett  and  Tracy, •       •         li 

II. 
A  Good  Start 17 

III. 
Boyhood, 3^ 

IV. 
Leaves  Home, ••••         5^ 

V. 
Home  Agaik, 66 

VI. 
The  Medical  Student,    ..•••••         76 

VII. 
The  Successful  Physician, loi 

VIII. 
Abandons  Medicine  for  Temperance,  •        •        •        127 

IX. 
Call  to  Massachusetts, •        X59 

X. 
Work  in  Massachusetts  continued,     ....        183 


lO  CONTENTS. 

XL 
Independent  Labor, •        •        213 

XIL 
Westward, 248 

XIII. 
Pioneer  Life, •        •        .        267 

XIV. 
Pioneer  Life  continued, 288 

XV. 
Dr.  Jewett  in  the  Rebellion, 310 

XVI. 
Guerrilla  Warfare, 337 

XVII. 
Dr.  Jewett  among  the  Children,        ....        357 

XVIII. 
Dr.  Jewett  in  the  Lecture  Field,      ....        378 

XIX. 
Table  Talk, .        401 

XX. 

Dr.  Jewett  a  Model  Reformer, 413 

XXL 
Dr.  Jewett  in  the  Family, 425 

XXII. 

Dr.  Jewett  in  the  Church, 442 

XXIII. 
Sickness  and  Death, 448 

XXIV. 
Eulogy  by  Judge  Crosby, 457 


LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 


I. 

JEWETT   AND  TRACY. 

EDWARD  JEWETT  emigrated  to  this  country 
from  Lincolnshire,  England,  in  1638,  and  set- 
tled in  Rowley,  Massachusetts.  His  youngest  son, 
Eleazer,  removed  to  Griswold,  Connecticut,  and 
was  the  founder  of  the  thriving  village  of  Jewett 
City  —  a  man  of  sterling  worth,  marked  business 
tact,  and  as  enterprising  as  he  was  honest. 

From  the  History  of  Norzvich^  by  Miss  Calkins ,^^ 
we  extract  the  following  : 

"  Eleazer  Jewett,  to  whom  this  beautiful  village  is  in- 
debted for  its  origin  and  its  name,  was  not  a  man  of  fin- 
ished education,  but  active,  persevering,  and  of  a  genial, 
kindly  temperament,  happy  in  doing  good,  and  opening 
paths  of  enterprise  for  the  benefit  of  others,  without  labor- 
ing to  enrich  himself.  Beginning  with  only  a  small  farm 
and  a  mill-seat  on  the  Pachaug  River,  he  lived  to  see  a 
flourishing  village  spread  around  him,  enriched  with  mills, 
stores,  mechanical  operations,  and  farms  in  an  improved 
state  of  tillage,  to  which  the  public  gave  the  familiar  name 

II 


li  p' 


12  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

of  '  Jewett  City,*  a  popular  substitute  for  Jewettville,  or 
Jewett  Farms. 

"  He  had  at  first  a  grist-mill,  and  to  this  he  added  a 
saw-mill,  and  sold  out  portions  of  land  to  induce  others 
to  settle  near  him.  About  the  year  1790  he  was  joined  by 
John  Wilson,  a  clothier,  from  Massachusetts,  who  married 
his  daughter,  whom  he  encouraged  to  set  up  a  woolen- 
mill.  We  learn  from  Wilson's  advertisement  that  he 
was  ready  at  his  mill  to  accommodate  the  public  in 
December,  1793. 

"  In  the  village  graveyard  a  plain  slab  marks  the  burial- 
place  of  this  founder,  bearing  the  following  inscription : 

"IN    MEMORY    OF    MR 

ELIEZER    JEWETT,    WHO 

DIED    DEC    7th  J817, 

IN    THE    87th    YEAR    OF    HIS    AGE. 

IN    APRIL    1771    HE    BEGAN 

THE    SETTLEMENT    OF    THIS    VILLAGE, 

AND    FROM    HIS    PERSEVERANCE    AND    INDUSTRY 

AND    ACTIVE    BENEVOLENCE,    IT    HAS 

DERIVED    ITS    PRESENT    IMPORTANCE. 

ITS    NAME    WILL  PERPETUATE    HIS    MEMORY.'* 

Eleazer  Jewett,  whose  career  we  have  just  noted, 
was  twice  married,  and  had  six  children.  His  fifth 
child,  Joseph,  father  of  Dr.  Charles  Jewett,  was  born 
December  12,  1762.  He  settled  in  Lisbon,  Connec- 
ticut, and  was  married  to  Sally  Johnson,  October  13^ 
1785.  Their  first  child,  Sally,  was  born  September 
3,  1786.  The  mother  died  November  18,  1786,  and 
the  child  died  March  18,  1787.  On  March  4, 1790, 
he  was  married  to  Betsey  K'ng ;  and  their  children 


JEIVETT  AND   TRACY.  13 

were  as  follows:  Betsey,  born  November  20,  1790; 
Sall}^  December  25,  1792;  Lydia,  December  26, 
1794;  Ann,  October  19,  1796;  Eleazer,  January  11, 
1799  ;  Henry,  April  2,  1801 ;  Joseph  R.,  December 
18, 1802  ;  Thomas  M.,  September  30, 1804  ;  Charles, 
September  5,  1807. 

Lieutenant  Thomas  Tracy  emigrated  to  this  coun- 
try from  England  before  1636,  in  which  year  he  was 
admitted  an  inhabitant,  and  had  lands  assigned  to 
him,  in  Salem,  Massachusetts.  He  was  the  grand- 
son of  Samuel,  the  youngest  brother  of  Sir  Paul 
Tracy,  the  first  baronet  of  Stanway.  In  the  latter 
part  of  1639  he  removed  from  Salem  to  Saybrook, 
Connecticut,  where,  in  1643,  he  was  one  of  the 
committee  to  divide  the  township  into  quarters.  He 
removed  to  Norwich,  with  his  family,  in  1659.  He 
was  one  of  the  witnesses  to  the  deed  by  which 
Uncas,  sachem  of  Mohegan,  conveyed  the  town- 
ship of  Norwich  to  the  proprietors,  thirty-five  in 
number. 

He  had  seven  children,  one  of  whom,  Solomon, 
married  Sarah  Huntington,  of  Norwich,  November 
23,  1676.  They  had  two  children,  son  and  daugh- 
ter. The  son,  Simon  Solomon,  married,  and  re- 
moved to  Canterbury,  Connecticut.  He  had  eight 
children.  His  sixth  child,  Phineas,  born  in  Novem- 
ber, 1721,  married  Mehitabel  Adams,  a  descend- 
ant of  Miles  Standish.     The  descent  is  traced  thus  : 

Captain  Miles  Standish  came  to  this  country,  in 
the  Mayflower,  in  1620.  He  was  twice  married, 
and  had  six  children,  Josiah  being  the  third.    Josiah 

eg--" 


14  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

was  twice  married,  and  had  nine  children,  the  oldest 
of  whom    he   named  for  his  grandfather  —  Miles.  ^.-^ 
\%\  Miles^ married,  and  had  a  daughter,  Mehitabel,  vvho  ,3/ 

married  Eliashib  Adams ;  and  it  was  her  daughter, 
©\  /Mehitabel  Adams,  who  married  Phineas  Tracy,  of 
•^^  Canterbury,  son  of  Simon  Solomon ;    so  that  here 
the  Miles  Standish   family  unites  with  the  Tracy 
family.  /Tn 

Phineas   had  five   children.     His  son,   Eliashib,'. fe/ 
married    Zeruah   Adams,    and    had   two   children, 
-="N     Phineas  and  Fanning.     The  latter  married  Lucy 
J;    Adams,  daughter  of  William  and  Phyllis  Adams, 
September  26,  1802.     Their  children  were  : 

William,  born  in  Lisbon,  November  18,  1803; 
Solomon  Fanning,  in  Canterbury,  August  25,  1805  ; 
Charles,  in  Canterbury,  June  5,  1807 ;  Thomas,  rv- 
in  Canterbury,  May  12,  1809;  Lucy  Adam^^  in  -  ? 
Lisbon,  Septerri^er  21,  181 1 ;  Eliashib,  in  Lisbon, 
December  6, 181 3  ;  Jabez  Ensworth,  in  Canterbury, 
February  21,  1817  ;  John  Cushman,  in  Windham, 
1830. 

It  was  Lucy  Adams  Tracy  of  this  family  who 
married  Charles  Jewett.  Her  grandfather  Tracy, 
who  was  a  strong-minded  but  uneducated  man,  died 
suddenly  in  a  fit.  His  wife,  in  her  great  sorrow, 
decided  to  educate  their  only  living  son,  to  accom- 
plish which  she  mortgaged  her  farm.  The  son  was 
graduated  at  Yale  College,  in  the  class  with  the 
late  Professor  Silliman.  He  was  one  of  the  finest 
scholars  in  college,  a  superior  mathematician;  but 


^ 


JEIVETT  AND   TRACY.  15 

poor  health  embarrassed  him  through  his  whole 
course. 

He  went  immediately  from  college  to  Virginia,  as 
a  teacher,  where  he  distinguished  himself  in  that 
profession.  He  returned  to  Connecticut  after  a 
time,  and  established  a  school  for  young  ladies  in 
New  London.  Subsequently  he  established  a  simi- 
lar school  in  Killingly.  Both  of  these  schools  were 
popular  and  successful.  At  the  time  his  daughter 
Lucy  married  Dr.  Jewett,  he  was  assistant  editor  of 
the  New  York  Observer.  Lucy's  mother  died  when 
she  was  five  years  old,  in  consequence  of  which  she 
became  a  permanent  member  of  her  grandfather 
Adams'  family. 

Thus,  by  the  marriage  of  Dr.  Charles  Jewett  and 
Lucy  Adams  Tracy,  two  eminent  families  united 
their  genealogical  lines  without  detracting  one  iota 
from  ancestral  worth,  ability,  and  renown. 

Their  children  were  as  follows  :  Charles,  born  in 
East  Greenwich,  R.  I.,  April  2,  1831 ;  William  Ad- 
ams, in  Norwich,  Conn.,  October  25^1832  ;  Richard 
Henry  Lee,  in  West  Greenwich,  R.  L,  July  10, 
1834;  Levi  Nelson,  in  Warwick,  R.  L,  May  24, 
1836;  Levi  Nelson,  2d,  in  Natick,  R.  L,  June  4, 
1838;  Lucy  Tracy,  in  Providence,  R.  L,  January 
13,  1840;  John  Hampden,  in  Newton,  Mass.,  Au- 
gust 10,  1842  ;  Frank  Fanning,  in  Newton,  January 
8,  1844;  Sarah  Elizabeth,  in  Newton,  January  20, 
1846;  William  Parker,  in  Plainfield,  Conn.,  August 
25, 1848.     A  twin  brother  of  William  died  at  birth. 


l6  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

Anna  Maria  and  Mary  Louise,  twins,  born  in  Mill- 
bury,  Mass.,  April  23,  1851. 

Just  a  baker's  dozen  —  Thirteen  !  At  the  tenth 
birth,  as  will  be  noticed,  twins  were  born.  Dr. 
Jewett  remarked  to  his  wife  that  she  had  introduced 
a  new  rule  into  arithmetic,  namely,  "  to  carry  two 
for  ten."  Notice  that  the  first  twins  were  boys; 
the  second  were  girls. 


A    GOOD  START, 


17 


II. 

A  GOOD   START. 

CHARLES  JEWETT'S  father  was  a  man  of 
the  Puritan  stamp,  tall,  broad-shouldered, 
grave,  and  dignified.  Physically  he  was  strong 
and  powerful,  able  to  perform  hard  work,  which  he 
did  without  complaint.  Emphatically  he  supporter! 
his 'growing  family  by  the  sweat  of  his  brow;  and 
it  required  a  great  deal  of  brow-sweat  to  support  so 
many  dependants.  He  was  a  nailer  by  trade, 
though  he  owned  a  small  farm,  the  latter  being  noted 
for  nothing  in  particular,  except  that  it  could  boast  a 
huckleberry-bush  that  yielded  white  berries. 

The  accompanying  illustration  is  an  exact  repre- 
sentation of  the  Jewett  homestead  as  it  was  at  the 
birth  and  during  the  earl}^  life  of  Charles.  The 
original  sketch  was  furnished  by  Mrs.  Mary  A. 
Jewett,  widow  of  Eliezur,  an  older  brother  of 
Charles,  and  was  drawn  from  memory.  The 
house  was  one  story  high,  gambrel-roof,  and  had 
eight  rooms  —  a  small  house  and  large  family  \\  hen 
the  youngest  child,  Charles,  was  born.  It  required 
some  study  of  adaptation  to  circumstances  to  make- 
so  large  a  family  fit  so  small  a  house.  But  the  thing 
2 


l8  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEVVETT. 

was  accomplished,  and  that,  too,  without  compress- 
ing a  single  cranium,  as  future  mental  developments 
abundantly  proved. 

On  the  right  stands  the  small  nail-shop,  an  ash- 
tree  in  front  and  an  apple-tree  in  the  rear.  Here 
tlie  support  of  the  family  was  mainly  achieved. 
Then  nails  and  tacks  were  made  by  hand;  and, 
what  was  specially  remarkable,  Mr.  Jewett  invented 
and  manufactured  some  of  the  most  effective  tools 
that  he  used.  Here  the  sons  rendered  good  service 
at  a  very  early  age.  There  was  one  thing  in  the 
shop  which  they  could  do  at  seven  or  eight  years  of 
age,  and  even  earlier.  As  the  nails  were  cut,  a 
small  boy  could  pass  them  to  the  workman  who 
headed  them,  laying  them  with  the  end  to  be  headed 
towards  the  workman.  Here  the  Jewett  boys  took 
their  first  lessons  in  manual  labor  really,  though 
they  early  assisted  about  the  farm  in  the  farming 
season.  Charles  took  his  turn  with  his  brothers, 
and  was  never  known  to  call  it  "small  business." 
Evidently  he  did  not  regard  it  "  small "  to  pass  the 
unfinished  nails  to  his  father  for  heading,  laying  them 
just  right.  We  have  heard  him  remark  respecting 
reforms,  since  he  was  fifty  years  old,  that  "  the 
beginning  of  a  good  cause  is  never  small." 

Doubtless,  in  his  estimation,  nail-making  was  a 
"good  cause,"  whose  beginnings  were  not  to  be  de- 
spised. The  celebrated  English  merchant,  Samuel 
Budgett,  used  to  set  boys,  whom  he  received  into 
his  warehouse,  to  work  straightening  old  nails 
picked    up    about    the    establishment.     If    a    boy 


llllfr.^«"Ml',iiilllll\'iiHlllli'Uli'' 


'||ll!;'il!ll|!!l"il!i;:; 


LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT, 


Straightened  nails  well,  it  was  proof  that  he  could 
do  something  else  well.  Whether  this  principle  was 
a  known  law  of  the  Jewett  nail-shop  or  not,  Charles 
adopted  it,  unconsciously  or  otherwise.  He  passed 
up  those  nails  ivcll.  In  due  time  he  was  promoted. 
Before  he  was  twelve  years  old  he  could  head  nails 
with  considerable  efficiency.  Though  rather  small 
of  his  age,  his  blows  were  steady,  heavy,  and  direct. 
From  that  time  he  has  been  rather  noted  for  "  hit- 
ting the  nail  on  the  head."  In  this  regard,  perhaps, 
no  man  ever  beat  him. 

We  turned  aside  to  call  attention  to  the  homestead. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  the  house  in  which  a  person 
was  born,  the  grounds  on  which  he  played  and 
romped,  and  the  shop  in  which  he  worked,  all 
exert  a  degree  of  influence  upon  life  and  character. 
A  single  hour's  interview  with  Dr.  Jewett,  turning 
his  attention  to  the  home  and  scenes  of  his  boyhood, 
was  sufficient  to  satisfy  the  most  sceptical  on  that 
point.  That  sharp  eye  of  his  glistened  with  new 
lustre,  and  his  enthusiasm  kindled  afresh  at  the 
recollection  of  the  old  hearthstone  where  he  knew 
that  he  was  made  a  man.  If  Wellington  won  the 
batde  of  Waterloo  at  Eton,  then  the  hero  of  this 
volume  won  his  fame  for  ability  and  usefulness  on 
the  homestead,  where  parents  commanded  and 
children  obeyed. 

But  to  return  to  father  Jewett.  He  was  a  man  of 
strict  integrity  and  honor,  possessing  those  sterling 
virtues  of  endurance,  perseverance,  and  industry 
that  distinguished  his  Puritan  ancestors.     What  he 


A   GOOD  START.  21 


lacked  in  pecuniary  ability  he  made  up  in  charac- 
ter —  the  latter  being  better  than  a  fortune  for  his 
children.  There  was  no  humor  in  his  composition, 
but  he  was  thoughtful,  reserved,  and  practical. 
Consequently  he  was  not  so  familiar  with  his  chil- 
dren as  some  fathers.  His  air  rather  than  his  spirit 
hindered  that  freedom  which  some  children  indulge 
in  the  presence  of  their  fathers.  Still  he  was  a  kind 
and  considerate  parent,  strongly  attached  to  his 
sons  and  daughters,  for  whose  mental  and  moral  cul- 
ture he  would  tax  both  his  muscle  and  his  brain. 
He  hated  idleness  and  meanness  so  vehemently,  that 
his  children,  at  a  very  early  age,  had  no  doubt  at 
all  upon  the  subject.  He  accepted  hard  toil  as 
necessary  and  honorable,  and  often  said,  "God 
helps  those  who  help  themselves."  He  despised 
laziness  and  viciousness  in  man  or  boy,  and  never 
lacked  adjectives  to  express  his  detestation  of  them. 
His  counsels  to  his  children  were  more  or  less  col- 
ored by  these  well-defined  views. 

He  was  an  indulgent  husband,  less  demonstrative 
in  that  relation  than  his  son  Charles  proved  to  be, 
but  no  less  appreciative  of  wife-worth.  He  under- 
stood full  well  that  the  mother  of  his  children  was  a 
remarkable  woman,  his  "better  half"  in  the  highest 
sense  of  the  term,  whose  influence  was  light  and  life 
in  the  home.  Not  for  the  world  would  he  interpose 
a  barrier  to  that  maternal  influence  at  his  fireside : 
for  he  knew  that  it  was  both  culture  and  character 
-o  his  offspring.  Often  his  confidence  incidentally 
appeared  in  his  answers  to  the  children  seeking  in- 


22  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT, 

dulgences  of  some  sort ;  "  What  does  your  mother 
say  about  it?  " 

He  was  a  man  of  real  mental  force,  qualifying  him 
for  positions  of  trust  in  the  town,  which  he  filled 
honorably  for  many  years.  His  intellectual  sharp- 
ness, united  with  his  sound  common  sense,  which  Dr. 
Emmons  used  to  say,  "  is  the  most  uncommon  kind 
of  sense,"  made  him  a  prominent  man  in  Lisbon. 

He  was  a  man  of  such  justice,  ability,  and  integ- 
rity, that  his  aid  was  often  sought  in  the  settlement 
of  estates,  even  before  he  was  a  justice  of  the  peace. 
His  good  sense  in  this  position  is  illustrated  by  a 
single  fact.  Charles  asked  him  one  day  what  rules 
he  had  to  guide  him  in  writing  the  various  docu- 
ments. He  replied,  "  Find  out  exactly  what  the 
parties  want,  and  then  express  it  in  the  briefest  and 
clearest  manner  possible." 

He  did  not  become  a  Christian,  and  unite  with  the 
church,  until  three  years  after  Charles  did.  All  this 
time,  however,  he  was  an  important  member  of  the 
parish,  intellectually  convinced  of  the  truth  of  the 
Orthodox  faith,  and  a  strict  observer  of  the  external 
things  of  religion.  At  his  house  the  Sabbath  was 
observed  with  scrupulous  exactness,  and  all  unne- 
cessary labor  dispensed  with.  His  vSabbath  com- 
menced at  sundown  on  Saturday  evening.  Beds 
were  not  made  nor  rooms  swept  until  after  sundown 
on  Sunday  evening.  On  the  Tracy  side  of  the  fam- 
ily even  more  strictness  was  observed;  for  "Grand- 
father Adams  "  would  not  go  *en  rods  on  Sunday  to 
inquire  after  his  grandchild  that  was  very  sick.     He 


A   GOOD  START. 


23 


would  frequently  address  his  grand-daughter  in  the 
most  serious  manner,  ''  Lucy,  are  you  not  encroach- 
ing upon  the  Sabbath?  "  So  careful  were  all  to  obey 
the  very  letter  of  the  commandment. 

Father  Jewett  was  converted  in  the  year  1831,  by 
listening  to  a  sermon  from  the  text,  "  I  beseech  you, 
therefore,  brethren,  by  the  mercies  of  God,  that  3'e 
present  your  bodies  a  living  sacrifice,  holy,  accept- 
able unto  God,  which  is  your  reasonable  service." 
(Rom.  xii.  i.)  After  his  conversion,  he  wrote  as 
follows  to  Charles,  who  had  become  a  practising 
physician  in  Rhode  Island.  The  letter  details  the 
circumstances,  and  photographs  the  man. 

"  Lisbon,  April  16,  1831. 
"  Dear  Child  :  I  scarcely  know  how  to  address  you 
at  this  time.  God  is  passing  before  us  in  such  a  wonder- 
ful manner  as  to  astonish  the  world.  The  great  revivals 
of  religion  that  we  hear  of  at  a  distance,  and  those  in 
places  around  us,  are  calculated  to  arouse  every  Christian 
to  look  around  him,  and  learn  how  he  can  become  a 
worker  with  God  in  this  work.  We  have  had  what  is 
called  a  '  three  days'  meeting '  in  the  neighboring  towns, 
at  which  there  has  been  uncommon  exertion,  and  uncom- 
mon success  attending  them.  This  w^eek  we  have  had 
one  in  this  place,  and,  wonderful  to  tell,  God  has,  by  his 
Spirit,  turned  a  number  from  darkness  to  light,  and  from 
the  power  of  sin  and  Satan  unto  God.  And  shall  I  say, 
I  hope  among  the  number  is  your  aged  father !  Oh, 
Charles !  when  I  look  on  my  past  life  and  my  advanced 
age,  that  God  should  constrain  me  to  come  in  at  the 
eleventh  hour,  what  astonishing  grace  and  mercy !  when 
his  goodness  has  been  following  me  all  my  days  ;   that  he 


£4  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

has  thus  provided  for  me  in  a  temporal  manner ;  his  good- 
ness and  mercy  in  calling  eight  of  my  children,  as  I  hope, 
and  made  them  trust  in  a  Saviour,  and  all  without  any 
assistance  of  a  father  ;  oh,  what  goodness  !  I  am  ashamed 
of  myself;  but  would  say  with  the  psalmist: 

"  *  Wonders  of  grace  to  God  belong ; 
0  Repeat  his  mercy  in  your  song.' 

Then,  my  dear  child,  you  will  come  to  the  footstool  of 
your  God,  and  pray  that  his  grace  may  be  sufficient  for 
me. 

"Your  mother  says  she  wishes  also  to  be  remembered, 
that  she  may  renew  her  covenant  with  God  that  bought 
her." 

•  Mrs.  Jewett  was  unlike  her  husband  in  some  im- 
portant traits.  She  possessed  a  native  humor  that 
imparted  a  sort  of  sparkle  to  much  of  domestic  life, 
and  drew  her  children  to  herself  like  a  magnet. 
In  this  regard  Charles  was  very  much  like  his 
mother,  as  the  sequel  will  show.  She  was  strictly 
a  religious  woman,  but  her  religion  was  cheerful  as 
sunlight.  If  her  husband  sometimes  forgot  that  he 
was  ever  a  boy,  she  remembered  vividly  that  she 
was  once  a  girl.  This  one  thought  tempered  her 
views  of  childhood,  and  helped  to  make  her  a  dis- 
creet and  wise  disciplinarian.  She  sincerely  lived 
for  God  and  her  family.  She  was  a  sensible  wo- 
man, bright  and  keen  mentally,  contented  and 
happy  with  her  lot,  tender  and  loving  in  her  nature 
—  a  genial  orb  around  which  the  children  revolved 
in  joyful  obedience.     That  her  hands  were  full  of 


A   GOOD  START,  25 

work,  and  her  thoughts  busy  with  plans,  we  need 
scarcely  say.  The  mother  of  nine  children,  sixteen 
eventful  years  intervening  between  the  oldest  and 
the  youngest,  must  be  pressed  with  cares  and  labors. 
Yet  her  tractable  disposition  and  buoyant  spirits 
carried  her  through  royally.  Her  children  never 
forgot  her  tender  advice  about  good  behavior,  cor- 
rect principles,  and  the  "  narrow-path  life." 

We  see  that  Charles  Jewett  was  born  of  good 
stock.  He  once  remarked,  in  a  public  lecture,  of 
an  American  statesman,  who  had  stood  up  squarely 
and  firmly  for  liberty  and  temperance,  "  I  knew  his 
father;  he  descended  from  good  stock;  and  stock 
is  everything  in  human  life  !  "  So  we  say  of  him, 
that  he  came  from  good  stock,  and  that  is  the  first 
factor  in  the  problem  of  true  manhood. 

Turn  now  to  his  surroundings.  First,  the  town  in 
which  he  was  born.  Reformers  are  not  often  born 
in  large  places.  Charles  Jewett  was  not.  Lisbon 
was  formerly  a  part  of  Norwich,  and  was  set  off  and 
incorporated  in  1786,  nearly  one  hundred  years 
ago.  The  only  church  in  town  (Congregational) 
was  organized  in  1723,  being  now  one  hundred  and 
fifty-six  years  old.  Before  a  preaching  service  was 
established  there,  the  inhabitants  attended  meeting 
at  Norwich,  eight  miles  distant.  Men  and  women 
travelled  thither  on  horseback,  and  many  of  the 
young  people  on  foot.  They  were  constant  and 
punctual,  too,  according  to  the  habit  of  that  day. 
The  Newent  Church,  as  it  was  named  by  the  Per- 
kinses, whose  ancestors  came  from  a  town  by  that 


26  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

name  in  England,  was  organized  with  seven  mem- 
bers only,  all  males,  the  first  pastor  being  one  of  the 
seven.  In  that  day  many  churches  were  formed 
with  that  number,  seven.  Importance  seems  to  have 
been  attached  to  that  number  because  it  is  prominent 
in  the  Scriptures.  Perhaps  this  explains  the  fact 
that  not  a  man  brought  his  wife  with  him ;  not  even 
the  minister.  The  charm  of  that  particular  number, 
seven,  would  have  been  dispelled  by  such  addition. 
Charles  Jewett  was  born  during  the  ministry  of 
Rev.  Levi  Nelson,  who  was  the  fourth  pastor  of  the 
church,  the  pastorates  of  the  four  covering  almost 
one  hundred  and  forty  years.  Mr.  Nelson  was  pas- 
tor more  than  fifty  years.  He  was  the  only  preacher 
A\ith  whose  ministrations  the  early  life  of  our  subject 
was  identified.  Mr.  Nelson  was  a  clergyman  of  the 
olden  type,  a  man  "  of  great  simplicity  and  purity  of 
life,"  who  "never  had  an  enemy,"  it  was  said.  He 
preached  Divine  Sovereignty,  foreordination,  elec- 
tion, and  the  decrees  with  as  much  solemnity  as 
any  other  divine  of  his  day,  though  he  was  more 
tender  and  practical  than  m^any  of  them.  He  was  a 
clear,  plain  preacher,  in  whom  the  young  people 
were  interested  with  their  fathers  and  mothers.  In- 
deed, more  than  many  ministers  of  that  time,  he 
drew  the  children  to  him,  both  in  and  out  of  the 
pulpit.  They  revered  and  loved  him.  He  believed 
in  the  Catechism  thoroughly,  as  a  text-book  in  the 
family,  school,  and  church.  He  taught  it,  at  stated 
times,  in  the  public  schools,  as  well  as  in  the  house 
of  God  on  "  catechising  Sunday ;  "  and  he  counselled 


A   GOOD  START.  27 

his  people  to  use  it,  with  the  Bible,  in  the  family. 
So,  between  the  three  institutions, — the  family, 
school,  and  church,  —  Charles  Jewett  was  pretty 
well  catechised.  And  he  never  forgot  his  catecheti- 
cal lore.  We  have  heard  him  draw  extensively 
from  it  many  times,  and  think  that  he  could  have 
repeated  the  catechism  the  last  year  of  his  life  as 
accurately  as  he  did  at  twelve  years  of  age. 

The  meeting-house  where  Charles  worshipped  so 
long  as  he  lived  in  Lisbon,  was  one  of  the  ancient 
style,  mad«  for  temporal  and  spiritual  good,  like  the 
catechism.  The  Norwich  historian  describes  it 
thus : 

"  The  pulpit  was  high  and  contracted,  with  a  sounding- 
board  frowning  over  it,  and  a  seat  for  the  deacons  in  front 
of  it  below.  The  pews  were  square,  with  high  partitions  ; 
the  galleries  spacious,  with  certain  seats  more  elevated  for 
the  tithing-men  or  supervisors  of  behavior.  The  venera- 
ble structure  is  believed  to  be  the  last  specimen  of  the  old 
New  England  sanctuary  that  lingered  in  the  'nine-miles' 
square.  It  was  demolished,  and  a  new  house  of  worship 
dedicated,  September  15,  1858." 

To  this  house  Charles  was  taken  when  he  was 
^'  too  young  to  understand  a  syllable  of  the  preach- 
ing, but  old  enough  to  cry."  Everybody  went  to 
meeting  then.  Whole  families  went,  including  the 
babies,  and  often  the  chorus  of  baby  voices  spoiled 
the  music  of  Dundee  and  Balerma. 

When  Mr.  Nelson  preached  his  "  half-century  ser- 
mon," in  1854,  ^^^  alluded  to  the  change  that  had 
been  wrought  among  the  people  in  respect  to  this 


28  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

habit.  "  Many  a  time,"  he  said,  *^  while  passing 
over  the  town,  has  my  attention  been  arrested  to 
notice  the  paths,  now  given  up,  where  they  used  to 
make  their  rugged  way  to  the  house  of  God  almost 
as  surely  as  the  holy  Sabbath  returned.  ...  To 
this  day  I  love  to  think  of  their  appearance  in  the 
house  of  God,  of  the  seats  they  occupied,  and  of 
their  significant  motions  to  express  their  approbation 
of  the  truth."  Every  Sabbath  for  many  years,  that 
town,  which  never  numbered  over  six  hundred  in- 
habitants, crowded  that  place  of  worship  with  men, 
women,  and  children.  Our  hero  was  a  constant  at- 
tendant in  his  bo3^hood,  youth,  and  early  manhood. 
Mr.  Nelson  regarded  the  Sabbath  with  all  the 
veneration  that  the  clergy  of  those  times  cherished 
for  the  holy  day ;  and  he  honestly  sought  to  instruct 
and  lead  his  people  to  cultivate  similar  reverence  for 
it.  With  him  and  his  people  Sunday  began  at  sun- 
set on  Saturday,  when  all  secular  cares  and  labors 
ended,  and  the  solemn,  serious  observance  of  "holy 
time"  began.  It  was  Sunday  on  the  farm,  in  the 
store  and  shop,  in  the  house  and  by  the  way,  in  the 
front  yard  and  back  yard  —  Sunday  everywhere. 
At  one  time,  for  some  reason,  the  Jewett  children 
took  a  short  walk  on  Sabbath  afternoon,  just  before 
night,  and  they  walked  up  the  hill  past  the  parson- 
age. Mr.  Nelson  beheld  them  with  mingled  sur- 
prise and  astonishment.  Such  desecration  of  the 
Sabbath  must  not  be  repeated,  lest  the  wickedness 
spread,  and  the  Newent  church  become  a  "hissing 
and  by  word."     Early  on  Monday  morning  he  pro- 


A  GOOD  START, 


29 


cecded  to  the  Jewett  homestead  to  discharge  the 
painful  duty  of  reproof  and  warning.  He  declared 
that  such  an  act  was  "not  only  a  flagrant  violation 
of  the  Sabbath,  but  an  insult  to  himself."  The  Jew- 
ett children  never  did  such  a  thing  again.  How 
such  a  nervous,  wide-awake,  fun-loving  urchin  as 
Charles  Jewett  survived  such  a  strait-jacket  disci- 
pline, we  can  scarcely  understand  ;  but  he  did,  and 
evidently  profited  by  the  rigid  treatment.  For  we 
recall  remarks  and  acts  of  his,  within  twenty  years, 
that  indicate  the  moulding  influence  of  Mr.  Nelson's 
ministry  upon  his  life.  On  one  occasion  he  remarked 
to  a  gentleman,  who  said  that  his  church  were  look- 
ing for  a  pastor : 

"  Get  one  whom  the  children  can  love  and  listen 
to.  It  is  a  great  mistake  in  societies  to  consult  the 
tastes  of  parents  only,  and  forget  the  children.  To 
compel  the  little  ones  to  sit  in  meeting.  Sabbath 
after  Sabbath,  under  the  preaching  of  one  who  has 
no  real  sympathy  with  children,  and  no  tact  to 
interest  them,  is  just  the  way  to  make  them  dislike 
the  house  of  God,  and  shun  it  in  after-life." 

Dr.  Jewett  w^as  a  severe  critic  upon  anything  like 
affectation  or  pedantry  in  the  pulpit.  The  two  qual- 
ities in  a  minister  that  seemed  to  impress  him  most 
were  sincerity  and  earnestness,  just  the  qualities 
prominent  in  the  character  of  the  pastor  of  his  boy- 
hood. We  can  but  think  that  there  was  an  intimate 
connection  between  that  and  his  admiration  of  Cow- 
per's  description  of  a  minister,  which  we  have  heard 
him  repeat  with  signal  pertinence  and  force  ; 


30  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT, 

"  Would  I  describe  a  preacher,  such  as  Paul, 

Were  he  on  earth,  would  hear,  approve,  and  own, 
Paul  should  liimself  direct  me  :    I  would  trace 
His  master-strokes,  and  draw  from  his  design. 
I  would  express  him,  simple,  grave,  sincere ; 
In  doctrine  uncorrupt ;  in  language  plain, 
And  plain  in  manner  ;  decent,  solemn,  chaste, 
And  natural  in  gesture  ;  much  impress'd 
Himself,  as  conscious  of  his  awful  charge. 
And  anxious  mainly  that  the  flock  he  feeds 
May  feel  it  too  ;  affectionate  in  look 
And  tender  in  address,  as  well  becomes 
A  messenger  of  grace  to  guilty  men." 

As  we  shall  learn  hereafter,  Dr.  Jewett  was  very 
familiar  with  the  standard  poets  of  Great  Britain  and 
America,  and  frequently  enforced  a  sentiment,  in 
conversation  and  lectures,  by  a  singularly  apt  quo- 
tation from  them.  In  this  respect  he  excelled  all 
men  we  ever  knew. 

The  natural  scenery  of  Lisbon  was  in  keeping 
with  the  social  and  moral  aspects  described.  The 
inhabitants  made  no  attempt  to  improve  upon  it  even 
in  their  door-yards.  It  was  rugged,  yet  beautiful : 
a  hilly  country,  where  valleys  nestled  between  the 
frequent  elevations,  and  forests  relieved  the  grand 
perspective  with  their  leafy  glories.  Rocks  abound- 
ed on  hill-side  and  in  valley,  sometimes  existing  in 
such  profusion  as  to  elicit  remarks  from  strangers. 
Here  men  were  reared.  The  genealogy  of  a  class 
of  families,  such  as  Perkins,  Tracy,  Jewett,  Bishop, 
Morgan,  Adams,  Brown,  and  others,  will  show 
that  this  little  town  has  furnished  more  than  its 
quota  of  men  who  "  were  not  born  to  die."     Their 


A    GOOD  START,  31 

influence  has  extended  throughout  this  and  other 
lands,  and  been  felt  in  the  marts  of  trade  as  well  as 
in  all  the  learned  professions.  Who  will  deny  that 
the  influences  enumerated  did  not  give  them  a 
START  ?  They  seemed  to  grow  up  naturally,  like 
the  trees  around  them.  They  were  neither  budded 
nor  grafted  —  the  natural  product  of  an  intelligent 
and  substantial  ancestry. 

Dr.  Jewett  was  an  expert  in  horticulture,  as  we 
shall  see.  We  have  seen  him  take  from  his  carpet- 
bag a  package  of  scions,  gathered  in  his  travels,  and 
say,  "That  is  the  way  to  raise  apples.  Only  set 
them  well,  and  let  them  have  a  good  start,  and  they 
are  sure."  We  think  that  Charles  Jewett  was  well 
^et,  and,  for  such  a  boy,  had  a  good  start. 


32  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 


III. 

BOYHOOD. 

THE  bo}^  Charles  Jewett  was  "father  of  the  man.'* 
Bright,  intelHgent,  witty,  genial,  magnetic,  he 
was  the  centre  of  juvenile  circles  in  his  boyhood, 
just  as  he  was  of  adult,  graver  circles,  thirty  years 
thereafter.  The  component  parts  of  his  make-up 
were  such  as  attract  and  even  fascinate  associates, 
whether  in  early  or  later  life.  That  he  was  roguish, 
in  the  proper  sense  of  that  term,  is  but  another  way 
of  saying  that  he  was  natural  —  himself.  He  could 
not  help  being  roguish.  A  lamb  will  jump  and  frisk  ; 
a  kitten  will  play,  must  play,  or  die ;  and  so  ^oung 
life  everywhere  is  jubilant  and  overflowing.  If 
Charles  Jewett,  the  boy,  could  not  have  bubbled  over 
occasionally,  and  that  exuberant  nature  of  his  rev- 
elled in  a  good  time  now  and  then,  he  never  would 
have  lived  out  half  of  his  days.  Crowd  young, 
buoyant  nature  back  into  itself,  and  the  insult  will 
be  felt  through  life ;  not  even  time  can  repair  the 
damage.  A  boy  is  a  boy,  and  he  ought  to  be,  as 
truly  as  a  man  is  a  man.  That  "  Charlie,"  as  he  was 
called,  was  a  boy,  neither  parent  nor  neighbor  ever 
doubted;  for  he  gave  "full  proof"  of  his  boyhood, 
impetuous,  gushing,  and  tireless  as  he  went  along. 


BOYHOOD. 


33 


We  have  no  doubt  that  his  father  sometimes  looked 
on  with  much  anxiety,  and  said  seriously,  *"  What 
will  become  of  him?"  That  dear,  good,  Christian 
mother,  who  saw  her  own  self  remarkably  repro- 
duced in  the  boy,  must  have  carried  his  case  often 
to  the  Lord.  Doubdess  she  made  her  Father  in 
heaven  very  familiar  with  the  child's  necessities. 
That  the  right  sort  of  a  man  could  be  made  out  of 
such  a  boy,  she  did  not  doubt ;  but  the  Lord  must 
do  it. 

There  is  litde  doubt  that  an  impulsive,  brilliant 
boy  like  him,  fond  of  sports  and  novelties,  charmed 
by  humorous  and  comic  entertainments,  would  be 
very  likely  to  go  astray  in  the  city.  Such  a  little 
steam-engine,  with  the  steam  always  on,  w^ould  be 
quite  likely  to  run  off  the  track  where  so  many  the- 
atres, dram-shops,  and  kindred  lures  embarrass  the 
way.  But  in  Lisbon,  w^here  temptations  were  com- 
paratively few  at  a  period  when  they  put  a  quart 
of  Catechism  into  a  pint  of  humanity,  there  was 
little  danger  to  be  encountered.  At  any  rate,  he 
survived  all  the  moral  perils  to  which  his  impulsive 
nature  subjected  him,  and  was  as  conscientious  as  he 
was  full  of  fun.  We  have  heard  the  doctor  himself 
say  that  if  he  had  been  born  in  a  city,  where  access 
to  the  theatre  is  easy,  he  w^ould  have  been  a  play- 
actor. The  reason  for  this  remark  w^ill  appear 
more  clearly  when  we  speak  of  his  admiration  of 
Shakspeare,  and  his  own  remarkable  dramatic 
powers.  The  staid  old  Puritan  lessons  and  manners 
of  his  native  town  cheated  the  play-house  out  of  a 
star.  3 


34  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

We  have  said  that  he  was  conscientious.  He 
was  truly  ;  and  very  tame  for  so  wild  a  boy.  Con- 
scientiousness was  his  regulator.  He  devised  fun, 
but  not  mischief.  Supposing  that  a  man  so  jocose, 
humorous,  and  witty  as  Dr.  Jewett,  must  have  been 
a  mischievous  boy,  we  inquired  of  one  of  his  towns- 
people, when  surveying  the  grounds  over  which 
his  young  feet  danced  : 

"  Can  you  tell  me  about  his  pranks?  Such  a  boy 
as  he  must  have  been  inclined  to  '  cut  up.'  " 

"  Not  at  all,"  was  the  reply.  "  He  was  a  good 
boy,  full  of  life  and  fun  ;  but  you  will  find  nothing 
bad  said  of  him." 

After  a  few  moments'  deliberation,  my  informant 
continued : 

"  He  was  roguish  in  school,  sometimes,  but  such 
a  bright,  happy  lad  as  both  teacher  and  scholar 
liked.  The  worst  thing  that  I  ever  knew  him  to  do 
—  and  that  was  nothing  but  Charlie's  genuine  love 
of  frolic  —  was  this:  When  about  eight  years  old, 
his  teacher  caught  him  at  play  in  school-time,  and 
she  shut  him  into  the  wood-house  leading  out  of  the 
schoolroom.  The  key-hole  became  a  source  of  still 
greater  amusement,  for  he  could  observe  the  location 
of  the  teacher  through  it,  at  the  same  time  that  he 
kept  the  scholars  in  a  titter  by  the  manipulations  of  a 
small  stick  that  he  would  withdraw  from  the  hole 
whenever  her  attention  was  directed  thither  by  the 
laughing  of  the  pupils.  He  kept  up  the  entertain- 
ment some  time  before  the  teacher  discovered  what 
was  the  cause  of  the  merriment." 


BOYHOOD. 


35 


The  teacher  concluded  that  Charles  Jewett  was 
born  to  fun  "  as  the  sparks  to  fly  upward,"  and  she 
released  her  prisoner  with  the  conviction  that  what 
was  in  him  would  come  out;  and  she  loved  the 
little  fellow  more  than  ever. 

As  already  hinted  in  the  first  chapter,  mother 
Jewett  was  responsible  for  this  element  of  fun-mak- 
ing in  her  family.  It  was  not  limited  to  Charles. 
Henry  was  as  complete  a  mimic  as  Charles,  and, 
in  some  things  in  that  line,  was  his  superior.  Any 
man  in  the  town  who  possessed  an  eccentricity  of 
manner  or  action,  he  could  "take  off  completely." 
Joe  could  not  do  that,  but  he  could  get  off  a  pun, 
crack  a  joke,  or  bandy  wit  equal  to  Charles.  Here 
is  a  single  example.  His  father  was  appointed  jus- 
tice of  the  peace  in  the  place  of  a  neighbor  who  re- 
tired from  the  office.  On  being  qualified  officially 
for  the  office,  he  brought  books  and  documents  from 
the  ex-justice  in  a  bushel-basket  and  set  it  under 
the  bed.  Desiring  some  service  done  soon  after,  he 
ordered  Joe  to  do  it.  The  latter  delayed,  for  rea- 
sons not  explained,  whereupon  his  father  spoke  as 
"one  having  authority,"  as  he  was  wont  to  do  at 
times.  Joe  felt  the  censure  keenly,  and  turned  to 
Charles,  saying  in  an  undertone  that  his  father 
might  not  hear,  '^'^  Esquire  Jewett  needn't  feel  so 
crank  if  he  is  appointed  justice  of  the  peace,  with 
his  office    in    a   corn-basket  under  the  bed." 

Although  Charlie  loved  a  book  better  than  he 
did  work,  he  was  very  accommodating  and  helpful 
generally.     Among  Tom's  daily  duties  assigned  was 


36  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT, 

that  of  bringing  in  wood  for  the  night.  One  night 
he  said  to  Charlie,  who  was  then  about  eight  years 
of  age  : 

"Come,  Charlie,  help  me  bring  in  the  wood  to- 
night, that's  a  good  boy  !  " 

Putting  on  an  air  of  dignity,  and  looking  very 
much  as  if  he  had  repressed  the  imp  of  fun  that 
was  in  him  long  enough,  he  replied : 

"  Let  every  man  skin  his  own  eels." 

Each  boy  had  his  own  work  about  the  house  and 
farm  to  do,  and  he  thought  it  was  best  to  stick  to 
the  original  plan. 

His  school  opportunities  were  limited.  Public 
schools  in  the  rural  towns  of  Connecticut  were  poor 
at  that  day.  They  were  short,  and  rudimentary  as 
they  were  short.  "  Reading,  writing,  and  arithme- 
tic" constituted  the  curriculum  of  a  common-school 
education.  Charlie  added  a  branch  to  his  course 
before  he  was  ten  years  old,  though  he  pursued  it 
only  when  the  teacher's  back  was  turned.  It  was 
Drawing.  He  practised  the  art  on  his  slate,  and 
sometimes  on  the  fly-leaves  of  his  books.  Portraits 
of  the  scholars,  and  pictures  of  animals,  were 
among  his  favorites.  His  mates  were  surprised  to 
see  how  accurately  he  drew  their  profiles,  and  how 
easily  it  was  done,  as  if  he  were  an  adept  in  the 
art.  Occasionally  these  artistic  dashes  were  varied 
with  something  comical,  as  a  dog  arrayed  in  man's 
apparel,  with  hat  and  boots ;  and  many  a  titter  was 
started  over  one  of  these  productions,  as  a  stolen 
glance  at  it  was  enjoyed  when  the  teacher  was  un- 
observant. 


BOYHOOD.  37 


Charlie  was  apt  to  learn,  quick  to  understand, 
prompt  to  recite,  and  fresh  and  animated  in  all  that 
he  did.  History  says  that  Newton  was  a  dunce  in 
school  until  a  classmate  kicked  him  in  the  stomach, 
when  he  sought  revenge  by  outstripping  his  assail- 
ant at  every  step  in  the  schoolroom.  Charlie 
needed  no  kick  to  arouse  his  energies,  for  they 
never  slumbered.  He  began  life  aroused,  and  no 
school  committee  ever  saw  him  in  seat  or  class 
without  thinking,  "that  is  a  livehoy.'^^  He  was  one 
of  the  few  pupils  whose  brightness  and  readiness 
attracted  attention.  It  was  easy  for  him  to  acquire, 
so  that  he  was  not  obliged  to  study  hard  in  order  to 
have  good  lessons.  His  conduct  in  school  was  usu- 
ally good.  Roguishness  does  not  necessarily  spoil 
good  conduct.  He  had  great  respect  for  his  teach- 
ers. That  male  or  female  should  know  enough  to 
teach  so  many  pupils,  some  of  whom  were  almost 
men  and  women  grown,  rather  caused  him  to  won- 
der. Years  afterwards  he  thought  that  Goldsmith's 
description  was  an  exact  representation  of  his  case, 
and  he  would  repeat  the  lines  with  much  effect : 

"  Beside  yon  stragglino;  fence  that  skirts  the  way, 
With  blossomed  furze  unprofitably  gay, 
There,  in  his  noisy  mansion,  skilled  to  rule, 
The  village  master  tauo^ht  his  little  school. 


While  words  of  learned  length  and  thundering  sound 
Amazed  the  gazing  rustics  ranged  around  ; 
And  still  they  gazed,  and  still  the  wonder  grew, 
That  one  small  head  could  carry  all  he  knew." 


38  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT. 

In  school  and  elsewhere  he  was  a  peacemaker. 
Strongly  attached  to  his  schoolfellows  and  play- 
mates, he  never  had  any  difficulty  with  them.  He 
could  not  endure  to  witness  quarrels  among  them, 
and  usually  managed,  on  such  occasions,  to  step  in 
with  his  wit  or  tact,  and  parry  all  warlike  demon- 
strations. It  was  quite  impossible  for  the  most 
evil-disposed  urchins  to  pick  a  quarrel  with  such  a 
"budget  of  fun."  As  well  attempt  to  convert  a  ray 
of  light  into  a  thunderbolt,  or  to  extract  sour  from 
sweet.  Nor  was  this  quality  confined  to  the  school- 
room and  playground ;  it  pervaded  the  home.  He 
was  the  life  of  the  family  circle.  He  never  had 
trouble  with  brothers  and  sisters.  "  Let  us  have 
peace  "  was  the  motto  on  his  banner.  Always  hap- 
py, always  ready  with  a  word  of  cheer,  there  was 
little  opportunity  for  disputes  or  encounters  when  he 
was  about.  Indeed,  there  was  little  disposition  to 
disagree  in  that  family,  for  the  cheerful  element 
was  in  the  ascendency. 

This  quaHty  manifested  itself  also  in  another  di- 
rection. His  sympathy  for  the  poor,  sick,  and  suffer- 
ing was  always  manifest.  An  unfortunate  or  sick 
companion  drew  tenderness  from  the  depths  of  his 
soul.  Sickness  in  the  family  awakened  both  anxiety 
and  affection.  He  was  ever  ready  with  words  of 
comfort  and  hands  to  assist.  The  sight  of  a  beggar, 
homeless  and  friendless,  tattered  and  hungry,  com- 
ing to  his  father's  door,  drew  a  whole  bucketful  of 
sympathy  from  the  deep  well  of  his  humanity.  Un- 
like many  children,  he   never  ran  from  beggars : 


BOYHOOD. 


39 


he  ran  to  them ;  and  the  first  thought  seemed  to 
be,  What  can  be  done  for  them?  Even  poor,  dumb 
animals  shared  this  gracious  element  of  his  being 
with  the  nobler  race.  The  abuse  of  a  dog,  cat,  or 
fly  distressed  him.  Stoning  frogs  in  the  mill-stream 
that  ran  close  to  his  father's  house,  elicited  his  re- 
proof. It  was  well  understood  by  the  juvenile  frater- 
nity that  "  cruelty  to  animals  "  must  not  be  practised 
when  Charlie  was  around.  He  had  a  *' Society  for 
the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals  "  in  his  own 
heart,  v/ith  a  constitution  that  God  wrote  on  its  im- 
mortal tablet ;  and  the  older  he  grew  the  more  dis- 
tinctly could  its  Divine  principles  be  read.  It  was  a 
genuine  pathos  and  tenderness  at  the  sight  of  suffer- 
ing or  wrong  in  mnn  or  beast  that  beautified  his  boy- 
hood. Within  a  few  years  this  prominent  element 
of  his  being  asserted  itself  at  a  railroad  depot  in 
Boston,  where  a  crowd  of  thoughtless  men  were  teas- 
mg  and  making  fun  of  Daniel  Pratt.  Dr.  Jewett 
withstood  the  spectacle  as  long  as  possible,  when 
he  rebuked  them  in  a  manner  that  shamed  every 
soul  of  them.  His  point  was,  that  it  was  shameful 
for  men  with  reason  to  subject  to  disrespect  and 
ridicule  a  man  bereft  of  reason.  Blair  said,  "  Grace- 
ful in  youth  is  the  tear  of  sympathy,  and  the  heart 
that  melts  at  the  sight  of  woe." 

He  was  a  great  reader,  with  only  a  few  books  to 
read.  There  was  no  Sabbath-school  at  that  time, 
and  consequently  no  Sunday-school  library  for  the 
young.  Indeed,  very  few  books  for  children  were 
then  published  in  the  country.     There  were  none  in 


40  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 


the  possession  of  the  Jewett  family.  The  Bible, 
Psalm  Book,  Westminster  Catechism,  American 
Preceptor,  Columbian  Orator,  and  the  Norwich 
Courier,  constituted  his  library,  small  but  substan- 
tial. We  believe,  however,  that  Robinson  Crusoe 
was  in  possession  of  the  family,  and  that  Charlie 
read  it  over  and  over  until  he  could  well-nigh  repeat 
it.  Without  question,  this  dearth  of  books  was  better 
for  a  boy  like  him  than  such  a  deluge  of  them  as  now 
floods  the  world.  With  his  taste  for  reading,  and  his 
love  of  stories,  particularly  the  dramatic  and  marvel- 
lous, a  great  supply  would  have  surfeited  his  appe- 
tite for  reading  at  the  expense  of  thinking.  If  soci- 
ety was  at  one  extreme  of  this  subject  sixty  and 
seventy  years  ago,  it  is  at  the  other  extreme  now. 
Real  profit  was  the  object  sought  then  ;  amusement 
is  the  object  now.  It  is  no  longer  a  quart  of  profit 
to  a  pint  of  pleasure,  but  a  small  gill  of  the  former 
to  a  hocrshead  of  the  latter.  Charlie  would  have 
shrunk  mentally  under  such  a  regimen  instead  of 
growing  into  vigorous  action.  His  intellectual  fac- 
ulties would  have  been  dwarfed  on  such  a  bottle  of 
watery  pap ;  and  he  would  have  made  a  fluid  sort 
of  a  man,  instead  of  the  man  of  iron  that  he  was. 

The  Columbian  Orator  was  a  source  of  exquisite 
pleasure  to  him.  Both  as  a  reading-book  and  a 
book  of  declamations  it  proved  a  treasure  to  him. 
Hours  of  unalloyed  satisfaction  he  spent  with  that 
volume.  He  was  born  an  orator,  and  very  early 
showed  a  strong  passion  in  that  direction.  He  com- 
mitted declamations  from  it  before  he  was  eight  years 


BOYHOOD. 


41 


old,  and  spoke  them  at  home  and  by  the  roadside. 
His  reputation  was  so  well  established  in  the  com- 
munity for  oratorical  ability  that  neighbors  would 
invite  him  to  speak  when  they  met  him  by  the  way. 
Sometimes  a  man  meeting  him  would  stand  him 
on  the  wall  for  an  exhibition  of  his  forensic  powers. 
It  was  not  simply  a  recitation  that  he  furnished  ;  an}'- 
boy  could  do  that;  it  was  real,  fervid  eloquence 
that  poured  from  his  impassioned  soul.  It  was  this 
quality  that  led  people  to  prophesy  that  Charlie 
would  be  a  minister.  No  one  thought  he  would 
ever  become  a  doctor.  Even  when,  ten  years  later, 
he  decided  to  qualify  himself  for  the  medical  pro- 
fession, one  citizen  said  : 

"It's  no  use,  Charlie.  You  can't  make  a  doctor  if 
you  try.  You  are  cut  out  for  a  minister.  Public 
speaking  is  your  forte.  If  you  study  medicine,  you 
will  come  around  into  the  pulpit  after  all." 

The  man  was  not  so  far  out  of  the  way,  for  he 
came  around  so  far  as  to  preach  the  Gospel  of 
Temperance  in  hundreds  of  pulpits.  Indeed,  as 
we  shall  learn  hereafter,  he  ministered  to  people, 
on  many  occasions,  in  the  place  of  an  ordained 
preacher. 

The  first  proof  that  there  was  a  poet  in  the  Jew- 
ett  family  occurred  on  this  wise.  It  was  when  Char- 
lie was  nine  or  ten  years  old.  The  boys  would 
come  home  from  school  ravenously  hungry,  a  state 
of  affairs  very  common  in  large  families,  and  the 
good  mother  usually  provided  for  the  rush.  Often, 
on  returning  from  school,  they  found  mother  em- 


42  LII^E   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

ployed  in  frying  doughnuts,  and  a  generous  distri- 
bution followed.  It  was  not  always  so,  however, 
when  Fanny,  a  redoubtable  old  maid  who  lived 
many  years  in  the  family,  officiated  at  the  fry-pan. 
Instead  of  distributing  the  doughnuts,  and  saying, 
as  their  mother  did,  "  There  now,  you  have  enough  ; 
run  away  and  be  good  boys,"  she  would  meet  their 
modest  demands  with  a  flat  denial,  —  "Not  one 
doughnut.     Clear  out,  and  don't  bother  me  !  " 

On  one  occasion  their  best  bow  and  plea  failed 
to  extort  the  doughnuts  from  Fanny,  whereupon 
Charlie  played  the  poet  extemporaneously,  more  to 
annoy  her  than  to  carry  his  point.  He  extempo- 
rized a  verse  containing  the  names  of  all  the  chil- 
dren and  others,  with  volunteer  advice  to  Fanny  to 
escape  from  single  blessedness  as  soon  as  she  could. 
The  verse  ran  thus  : 

^'  Betsey,  Sally,  Lydia,  Ann, 
Eleazer,  Henry,  Joe,  and  Tom, 
Charles,  Maria,*  and  Mary  Ann  ;  f 
And  Fanny,  marry  if  you  can !  " 

This  unexpected  dash  of  poetry  caused  an  ex 
plosive  laughter  all  round  the  juvenile  camp,  and 
Fanny,  surprised  and  pleased  that  such  a  "tot" 
could  get  off  such  a  poetical  hit,  joined  in  it  heartily, 
and  proceeded  to  distribute  doughnuts  with  a  liberal 
hand.  The  boys  could  not  forget  that  achievement. 
The  doughnut  problem  was  solved  now.     CharHe's 

*  A  girl  brought  up  in  the  family. 

t  A  tailoress  who  worked  much  in  the  family. 


BOYHOOD, 


43 


rhymes  would  insure  a  full  supply.  He  must  ply 
his  art  with  a  will  every  time.  And  he  did  ;  but  the 
doughnut-maker  was  inexorable  again.  Her  heart 
became  steeled  against  poetical  effusions  ;  and,  in- 
stead of  doughnuts,  they  got  the  broom.  Fanny 
declared  that  she  "  hated  boys,"  and  Charlie  thought 
that  was  the  reason  she  never  got  married.  But 
the  war  on  the  doughnuts  was  not  yet  ended. 
Charlie's  tactics  were  equal  to  the  emergency.  The 
boys  held  a  council  of  war,  at  which  he  proposed 
a  covert  attack  on  the  doughnuts.  Each  one  should 
sharpen  a  stick  and  run  it  up  his  sleeve  out  of  sight, 
and  when  assembled  about  the  fire  in  happy  con- 
verse, at  a  given  signal  each  should  spear  a  dough- 
nut and  bear  it  away  in  triumph.  The  plot  was 
gloriously  successful,  but  proved  to  be  one  of  those 
victories  that  destroy  the  victors.  For  Mother  Jew- 
ett  thought  that  hostilities  had  proceeded  far  enough, 
and  her  proclamation  ended  the  siege.  From  that 
time,  however,  it  was  settled  that  Charlie  was  poeti- 
cal, if  not  a  poet. 

With  all  the  rest,  he  was  very  ingenious.  With 
his  jack-knife  and  some  tools  that  his  father's  nail- 
shop  furnished,  he  could  construct  windmills,  water- 
wheels,  kites,  sleds,  and  miniature  tables,  bureaus, 
carts,  and  articles  even  more  elaborate.  The  stream 
of  water  near  his  father's  house  was  utilized  to  run 
water-wheels  that  he  made,  and  the  corners  of  barn 
and  shed  were  adorned  with  specimens  of  his  wind- 
mills. No  one  could  beat  him  in  the  manufacture 
of  whistles,  and  bows  and  arrows.     His  ingenuity, 


44  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT. 

too,  was  used  in  a  benevolent  way,  often,  to  interest 
and  please  children  younger  than  himself.  Here  and 
there  are  persons,  if  now  living,  who  could  testify 
to  the  genuine  kindness  of  the  boy  Charles  Jewett, 
in  making  water-wheels,  windmills,  and  whistles  for 
them.  He  seemed  to  possess  an  inborn  inclination 
to  do  for  others.  It  was  a  sort  of  passion  with  him 
to  please  and  help  others.  Within  two  or  three 
years  we  heard  of  his  gymnastics  in  a  railroad  depot 
to  relieve  a  worn  and  weary  mother.  She  had  a 
sick  child  with  her,  so  restless  and  worrysome  as  to 
trouble  her  exceedingly.  The  doctor  came  to  her 
relief,  and  by  motions  and  noises,  imitating  birds, 
beasts,  and  perhaps  fishes,  he  succeeded  in  gaining 
the  attention  of  the  child,  and  holding  it  until  car- 
time  arrived.  Any  person  acquainted  with  the 
doctor  will    say,  "That  was  characteristic." 

We  are  told  that  the  ingenuity  of  Newton's  boy- 
hood foreshadowed  his  manhood  ;  that  he  constructed 
water-wheels,  windmills,  kites,  and  other  articles, 
and  was  mender-general  of  toys  in  the  neighbor- 
hood ;  that  he  drew  profiles  of  friends,  including  that 
of  his  favorite  teacher,  and  wrote  verses ;  and  that 
he  loved  a  book  so  much  more  than  he  did  work, 
that  he  would  pilfer  time  allotted  to  labor  for  the 
purpose  of  reading.  All  this  was  no  more  remark- 
able than  what  we  have  seen  was  true  of  Charles 
Jewett's  early  years,  except  the  latter  needed  no 
"  kick  in  the  stomach  "  to  start  him  in  the  race  of 
life.  We  are  not  making  Dr.  Jewett  an  equal  with 
the  great  philosopher ;  but  the  boyhood  of  the  latter 


BOYHOOD. 


45 


no  more  foreshadowed  later  life  than  the  boyhood  of 
the  former  did.     We  believe  that  — 

"  God  gives  to  every  man 
The  virtue,  temper,  understanding,  taste, 
That  lifts  him  into  life,  and  lets  him  fall  j 
Just  in  the  niche  he  was  ordained  to  fill." 

The  evidence  of  this  truth  begins  with  childhood 
and  youth,  though  much  more  distinct  in  some  lives 
than  in  others. 

One  who  knew  Charles  w^ell,  says,  "  He  kept  his 
eyes  open  ;  "  that  is,  he  was  a  keen  observer.  For 
this  reason  he  was  learning  when  other  boys  were 
wasting  time.  Observation,  discriminating  and 
sharp,  is  one  of  the  most  practical  and  valuable  ele- 
ments of  success.  Dr.  Johnson  said,  "  Some  men 
will  learn  more  in  the  Hempstead  stage  than  others 
in  the  tour  of  Europe."  It  is  so  with  boys.  Oh  a 
journey,  one  will  notice  every  tree,  house,  field, 
bird,  stream,  herd,  hill,  and  valley,  while  another 
will  scarcely  obsei*ve  anything  but  the  animal  which 
draws  him.  One  will  observe  a  steam-engine  only 
to  take  in  its  size  and  general  appearance,  v^hile 
another  will  study  every  valve,  wheel,  rod,  and  pipe, 
comprehending  the  actual  construction  of  the  ma- 
chine. One  will  commit  a  lesson  in  school  and 
recite  it  glibly,  parrot-like,  without  raising  a  single 
inquiry  as  to  its  meaning,  or  understanding  it  at 
all ;  while  another  is  surcharged  with  inquiries,  and 
his  enthusiasm  and  interest  appear  in  every  question 
and  answer.  The  difference  is  found  in  observa- 
tion.     Ferguson  was  gifted  with  observation  in  his 


46  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

boyhood.  A  toy,  tool,  or  other  article  was  thorough- 
ly understood  by  him.  By  taking  them  to  pieces  and 
putting  them  together  again,  he  understood  their 
mechanism.  His  father's  watch  especially  interested 
him.  He  longed  to  know  how  it  was  made.  He 
would  have  taken  it  to  pieces,  but  his  father's  eye 
was  too  watchful.  One  day  a  gentleman  was  riding 
by  on  horseback,  and  he  stopped  to  inquire  of  the 
lad  about  the  way.  While  directing  him,  young 
Ferguson  observed  that  the  traveller  had  a  watch. 

"  Will  you  be  good  enough  to  tell  me  what  time  it 
is?"  he  asked. 

The  gentleman  very  kindly  responded 

"  Would  you  be  willing  that  I  should  look  at  your 
watch?  "  continued  the  boy,  after  learning  the  time, 
which  was  only  a  ruse  to  examine  the  timekeeper. 

"Certainly,"  replied  the  kind-hearted  man,  pass- 
ing him  the  watch.     His  first  question  was  : 

"  What  makes  that  box  go  round?  " 

"  A  steel  spring,"  the  owner  replied. 

"  How  can  a  steel  spring  in  a  box  turn  it  round  so 
as  to  wind  up  all  the  chain?" 

The  gentleman  explained. 

"I  don't  see  through  it  yet,"  3^oung  Ferguson 
answered. 

"Well  now,  my  young  friend,"  said  the  man, 
becoming  deeply  interested  in  the  boy,  "take  a  long, 
thin  piece  of  whalebone,  hold  one  end  of  it  fast 
between  your  finger  and  thumb,  and  wind  it  round 
your  finger;  it  will  then  endeavor  to  unwind  itself; 
and  if  you  fix  the  other  end  of  it  to  the  inside  of  a 


BOYHOOD. 


47 


small  hoop,  and  leave  it  to  itself,  it  will  turn  the 
hoop  round  and  round,  and  wind  up  a  thread  tied 
to  the  inside." 

"I  see  it !  I  see  it !  "  exclaimed  Ferguson,  express- 
ing thanks  and  his  enthusiasm  at  the  same  time. 
And  he  subsequently  constructed  a  wooden  watch, 
which  he  put  into  a  case  about  the  size  of  a  tea- 
cup. 

Blaise  Pascal  was  a  similar  boy.  When  about 
ten  years  old,  at  the  dinner-table  one  day,  he  was 
amusing  himself  by  striking  his  plate  with  his  knife, 
and  then  listening  to  the  sound. 

"What  are  you  doing  wdth  that  plate,  Blaise?" 
inquired  his  sister,  without  dreaming  that  the  boy 
was  unwittingly  studying  the  science  of  acoustics. 

"  See  !  "  he  replied,  ''  when  I  strike  the  plate  with 
my  knife,  it  rings  ;  hark  !  " 

And  he  repeated  the  experiment. 

"When  I  grasp  it  with  my  hand  5^?,"  —  suiting 
the  action  to  the  word, — "the  sound  ceases,"  he 
continued.     "  I  w'onder  why  it  is  !  " 

His  sister  could  not  enlighten  him,  and  she  only 
smiled  at  his  childish  interest.  The  boy,  however, 
did  not  stop  his  researches.  He  went  on  dinging 
various  articles,  in  order  to  study  the  laws  of  sound, 
until  in  manhood  he  produced  a  remarkable  treatise 
on  the  subject. 

We  have  cited  these  tw^o  examples  of  observation 
to  illustrate  our  point  better  than  we  could  by  sim- 
ple description.  Charles  Jewxtt  was  precisely  such 
a  boy.     He  had  an  irrepressible  desire  to  know  the 


48  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

reason  of  things.  Before  he  was  old  enough  to  com- 
prehend  the  philosophy  of  his  action,  he  was  investi- 
gating the  nature,  tendency,  and  relation  of  things. 
Whether  he  was  a  born  inventor,  mechanic,  chem- 
ist, artist,  or  not,  his  discriminating  powers  led  him 
in  that  direction.  Says  one  who  saw  him  much 
before  he  was  twelve  years  old,  "  He  was  a  natural 
mechanic,  very  ingenious,  and  when  he  had  perfect- 
ed one  thing  he  would  turn  and  invent  another." 
Very  few  boys  can  do  that.  There  must  be  native- 
born  tact,  genius,  and  perseverance,  to  secure  such 
results. 

His  critical  observation  went  hand  in  hand  with 
his  conscientiousness.  He  early  saw  the  tendency 
of  acts ;  —  that  the  youth  who  drank  intoxicating 
liquors  might  become  a  drunkard  ;  that  the  profane, 
reckless  youth  was  despised  by  good  people ;  that 
doing  low,  mean  things  was  unmanly  and  detesta- 
ble ;  —  and  so,  with  a  heart  full  of  life  and  joy,  and 
a  soul  on  fire  with  enthusiasm,  and  his  impulsive 
nature  in  love  with  the  humorous  side  of  humanity, 
he  steered  clear  of  rocks  and  shoals,  and  fairly 
earned  the  reputation  of  being  a  "good  boy."  Pro 
fanit}^  vulgarity,  and  kindred  vices,  did  not  lure 
him,  nor  flaunt  their  colors  in  his  presence.  Though 
just  the  boy,  with  a  class  of  his  qualities,  to  fall  into 
such  ways,  he  was  just  the  boy,  with  another  class 
of  qualities,  to  shun  them.  Any  amount  of  roguish- 
ness  may  be  carried  safely  by  a  youthful  soul  that 
is  controlled  by  conscience.  A  small  amount  may 
wreck  a  soul  that  ignores  conscience. 


BOYHOOD. 


49 


No  doubt  that  poverty  was  one  of  his  greatest 
blessings.  He  spent  no  money  because  he  had 
none  to  spend.  With  his  generous  impulses,  and 
craving  for  a  merry  time,  a  rich  father  might  have 
made  him  a  degenerate  son.  Money  would  have 
gained  for  him  the  facilities  that  imperil  and  ruin. 
INIany  a  lad  is  spoiled  by  his  spending  money.  To 
all  this  class,  having  none  to  spend  is  a  real  god- 
send. True,  boys  had  not  the  temptation  to  spend 
money  at  that  time  that  they  have  now.  In  Lisbon 
especially  this  was  true.  Confection  and  baker 
carts  did  not  run  in  there.  Travelling  shows  and 
exhibitions  of  every  kind  shunned  the  town.  So 
that,  while  Charlie  had  no  money,  he  had  no  partic- 
ular need  of  any. 

Hugh  Miller  said,  "  It  was  necessity  that  made 
me  a  quarrier."  Whether  it  was  "  necessity  "  that 
made  Charles  Jewett  economical  or  not,  he  was  all 
this  from  birth  till  death.  Greater  men  than  he 
spent  money  very  foolishly  in  early  life.  Even 
Franklin  paid  all  his  for  a  whistle,  and  Samuel 
Drew  for  a  purse.  The  latter  wTote,  in  mature 
years  :  "  When  I  was  a  boy,  I  remember  I  got  a 
few  pence,  and  coming  into  St.  Anstell  on  a  fair- 
day,  laid  out  all  on  a  purse.  My  empty  purse 
often  reminded  me  of  my  folly ;  and  the  recol- 
lection has  since  been  as  useful  to  me  as  Frank- 
lin's whistle  was  to  him."  But  our  hero  could  not 
have  been  so  foolish  if  he  would ;  for  he  had  not 
money  to  buy  the  whistle  or  purse.  Poor,  indeed, 
was  he.  Blessed  poverty  ! 
4 


50  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

One  very  painful  experience  came  to  Charlie's 
boyhood.  His  eldest  sister  married,  and  removed 
to  the  state  of  New  York.  She  was  sixteen  years 
older  than  he,  and  was  a  sort  of  sister-mother  to  him 
in  his  babyhood.  She  was  specially  charged 
with  his  care,  so  that  there  existed  an  extra  reason 
for  his  strong  attachment  to  her.  He  was  seven 
or  eight  years  old  when  she  married  and  went  away. 
Charlie  was  hardly  reconciled  to  the  event;  but 
his  opinion  of  the  man  who  would  perpetrate  such 
an  outrage  as  to  capture  and  bear  away  his  sister, 
was  never  committed  to  writing.  His  feelings,  how- 
ever, were  sadly  wrought  upon.  A  part  of  himself 
was  carried  off;  and  how  lonely  one  must  feel  with 
a  part  of  himself  gone  !  For  a  time  the  event  took 
the  fun  out  of  him,  as  rain  takes  starch  out  of  linen. 
He  brooded  over  it,  and  grieved.  But  the  cloud 
broke  after  a  time.  Such  a  boy  could  not  live  long 
under  a  cloud.  He  would  oust  it  if  relief  could 
come  in  no  other  way.  But  relief  came  ;  the  old  sun 
shone  out  brightly,  and  his  bounding  spirit  made 
as  much  of  life  as  ever. 


LEAVES  HOME. 


SI 


IV. 

LEAVES   HOME. 

CHARLES  was  familiar  with  work  at  twelve 
years  of  age.  He  could  turn  his  hand  to  the 
demands  of  the  farm  or  nail-shop  with  much  effi- 
ciency. Out  of  school  his  time  was  quite  fully  occu- 
pied with  labor.  His  father  believed  that  it  was 
better  "  to  wear  out  than  to  rust  out ;  "  and  his  opin- 
ions were  reduced  to  practice.  Rust  was  scarce 
about  his  premises.  His  boys  and  girls  did  not 
corrode ;  they  had  no  chance  for  that.  "  Work 
before  play,"  was  a  family  motto.  - 

Charles  took  to  the  farm  more  than  to  the  nail- 
shop.  He  was  in  love  with  Nature,  and  farming 
gratified  that  love  more  than  nail-making.  We  do 
not  mean  to  say  that  his  heart  was  set  upon  raising 
corn  and  potatoes,  grain  and  fruits,  though  he  did 
all  this  with  commendable  tact.  Horticulture  espe- 
cially interested  him.  Cultivating  trees  and  flowers 
yielded  him  a  large  percentage  of  genuine  satisfac- 
tion. He  early  learned  the  art  of  grafting  and  bud- 
ding, and  practised  it  thereafter  as  long  as  he  lived. 
His  acquisitions  in  this  regard  served  him  a  good 
purpose  in  manhood. 

At  this  time,  however,  an  event  of  great  moment 
to  him  occurred.     His  parents  went  on  a  visit  to 


52  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

their  daughter,  in  the  state  of  New  York  ;  and  they 
took  Charlie  with  them.  It  was  her  request  that 
Charlie  should  come.  We  have  seen  that  a  strong 
attachment  existed  between  brother  and  sister,  and 
the  reason  for  it.  This  visit  brought  them  together 
again.  "  Was  there  ever  such  a  sister?  "  he  thought. 
"  Was  there  ever  such  a  brother  ?  "  she  thought. 

It  was  a  new  world  to  Charles.  Herkimer  Coun- 
ty, New  York,  then,  was  as  new  a  country  as  Wy- 
oming or  New  Mexico  are  now.  The  soil  was 
rich ;  and  such  vegetation,  forests,  and  timber,  as 
met  his  wondering  eye,  were  marvels.  Farming  on 
such  an  extensive  scale,  too,  was  entirely  new  to 
him.  To  a  boy  of  his  sharp  observation  the  scene 
was  fascinating.  His  whole  attention  was  absorbed 
in  the  panorama  about  him. 

He  had  not  been  there  long  before  his  sister  ex- 
pressed a  desire  that  he  should  remain  and  live 
witti  them.    "  Live  here  always?  "  inquired  Charles. 

"Yes,  always,"  was  the  reply. 

Had  the  proposition  come  from  any  one  but  his 
sister,  he  would  have  declined  it  at  once.  Home  had 
too  many  attractions  for  a  boy  like  him  to  be  sacri- 
ficed hastily. 

The  facts  of  the  case  were  set  before  him,  —  the 
opportunity  to  acquire  a  thorough  knowledge  of 
farming  ;  the  pleasure  of  driving  horses  and  having 
charge  of  so  many  cattle ;  the  help  it  would  be  to 
his  father,  who  was  poor ;  and  the  satisfaction  it 
would  afford  his  sister. 

The  parents  were  consulted  of  course,  and  the 


LEA  VES  HOME. 


53 


subject  was  thoroughly  discussed  in  the  family. 
Charlie's  father  expressed  himself  candidly  and 
fully.  He  thought  it  was  a  good  opportunity  for  a 
boy  twelve  years  old.  Nor  was  it  going  out  of  the 
family  to  avail  himself  of  the  privilege.  Next  to  his 
mother,  his  eldest  sister  would  care  for  him  with 
tender  interest.  It  was  clearly  a  providential  open- 
ing that  ought  to  be  occupied.  The  question  was 
settled.  Charles  Vv'ould  stay  with  his  sister ;  nor 
had  he  any  tears  to  shed  over  the  decision.  He  ac- 
cepted the  situation  with  his  wonted  cheerfulness. 
The  .^ct  that  his  parents  favored  the  object,  and  the 
thought  that  it  would  aid  his  father  to  bear  the  fam- 
ily burden,  reconciled  him  completely  to  the  result. 

No  boy  ever  took  up  his  abode  among  strangers 
sharing  better  counsels  than  Charles  did.  The  ten- 
der and  timely  words  of  advice  which  his  paients 
gave  him  were  "  apples  of  gold  in  pictures  of  silver." 
"It  will  depend  on  yourself,"  said  his  father, 
"whether  you  make  a  good  man.  If  you  succeed, 
it  will  be  because  3^ou  do  the  best  you  can.  Nobody 
can  make  a  man  of  you  without  your  noblest  efforts. 
A  boy  can  make  almost  anything  he  wants  to  be, 
if  he  will  work  hard  enough  for  it.  Industry,  perse- 
verance, and  sound  moral  principle  will  do  for  you 
what  all  the  money  in  the  world  can  never  do.'' 

This  counsel  was  not  put  with  the  grace  and 
beauty  of  Bacon,  though  it  is  not  less  practical  and 
pertinent.  Bacon  said,  "  Men  seem  neither  to  under- 
stand their  riches  nor  their  strength  ;  of  the  former 
they  believe  greater  things  than  they  should  :  of  the 


^4  L^FE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

latter,  much  less.  Self-reliance  and  self-denial  will 
teach  a  man  to  drink  out  of  his  own  cistern,  and  eat 
his  own  sweet  bread,  and  to  learn  and  labor  truly  to 
get  his  living,  and  carefully  expend  the  good  things 
committed  to  his  trust." 

In  his  counsels,  Father  Jewett  met  Bacon's  idea 
of  the  best  advice :  "  He  that  gives  good  advice 
builds  with  one  hand ;  he  that  gives  good  counsel 
and  example  builds  with  both." 

So  Charles  was  left  behind  when  his  parents  re- 
turned ;  and  he  found  himself  settled  in  Fairfield, 
Herkimer  County,  New  York,  — a  boy-farmer.  As 
it  proved,  he  was  introduced  to  an  experience  of 
which  he  scarcely  dreamed.  He  found  a  splendid 
farm,  but  not  a  bed  of  roses.  His  sister  was  the 
same  dear,  loving,  and  lovable  woman  that  she 
always  was,  but  her  husband  would  scarcely  answer 
to  the  description  of  being  a  kind  and  genial  man. 
He  was  a  hard  worker,  a  worshipper  of  the  al- 
mighty dollar,  and  he  wanted  everybody  around 
him  to  be  the  same.  Franklin's  couplet  was  his 
Bible,   Catechism,  and  Prayer-Book : 

"  Early  to  bed,  and  early  to  rise, 
Will  make  a  man  healthy,  wealthy,  and  wise." 

Boy  or  man,  with  religion  enough  to  rise  at  break 
of  day  and  toil  until  dark,  with  an  occasional  night 
spent  at  the  coal-pit,  answered  his  beau  ideal  of  a 
man  for  this  world  and  the  next.  Had  his  views 
and  practice  been  in  full  accord  with  physical  laws, 
he  himself  would  have  been  the  healthiest,  wealthi- 


LEA  VES  HOME. 


55 


est,  and  wisest  man  in  Herkimer  County.  But,  un- 
fortunately, he  was  at  loggerheads  with  Nature, 
and  did  not  know  it.  Physiology  could  not  find  a 
place  on  his  farm  to  rest  the  sole  of  its  foot.  The 
only  ology  that  was  tolerated  there  was  workology. 
From  dawn  to  setting  day,  it  was  work,  work,  work  ! 
scrub,  scrub,  scrub  !  Yet  Henry  Dexter  did  not 
.nean  to  be  unreasonable  or  cruel.  He  was  born 
to  run  a  farm  with  all  his  might,  so  he  appeared  to 
think.  John  Adams'  motto  was,  "Sink  or  swim, 
live  or  die,  survive  or  perish,  I  am  for  the  Declara- 
tion." Henry  Dexter's  was  the  same,  except  that 
he  was  iov  farming  instead  of  the  "Declaration." 
He  cared  not  a  fig  for  the  latter ;  but  the  former 
was  his  country  and  his  little  world. 

Judge,  then,  of  Charles's  introduction  to  a  farm- 
er's life.  He  struck  right  into  the  business  at 
once ;  he  was  obliged  to  do  it.  He  did  not  stop  to 
learn  —  he  began  without  learning.  It  was  a  ser- 
vice without  the  voluntary,  a  sermon  without  intro- 
duction, a  book  without  a  preface.  He  began  with- 
out a  beginning.  He  struck  in  where  boy-farmers 
usually  find  themselves  after  three  or  five  years' 
service.  It  was  a  good-bad  thing  for  him,  no  doubt, 
—  good  for  his  tact,  self-reliance,  and  energy,  but 
bad  for  his  physical  powers.  Over-work  is  to  be 
deprecated  as  much  as  under-work,  though  hard 
work  is  a  much  better  discipline  than  no  work. 

Charles  was  better  qualified  for  such  service  than 
most  boys.  His  remarkable  tact  and  dispatch  fitted 
h.  m  for  the  emergency.     He  "  obeyed  orders  "  like  a 


56  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

soldier.  He  was  wont  to  do  this.  Much  work  did 
not  scare  him.  To  milk  cows  before  sunrise  and 
after  sunset  did  not  sour  him.  He  would  sooner 
crack  a  joke  over  it  than  scold  and  complain.  That 
was  less  onerous  and  wearying  than  logging  in  the 
woods,  in  winter,  or  tending  coal-pits  at  other  sea- 
sons of  the  year.  Before  he  was  fifteen  years  old 
he  at  one  time  tended  coal-pits  fourteen  nights  in 
succession  and  worked  at  haying  each  day.  He 
cherished  his  own  thoughts  about  the  cruelty  of 
the  exaction,  but  not  a  word  of  complaint  or  remon- 
strance escaped  his  lips.  His  sister,  who  was  a 
woman  of  real  mental  ability,  deeply  sympathized 
with  him,  and  tender  words  were  dropped  into  his 
ears  occasionally,  though  she  well  understood  that 
a  woman's  interference  would  not  be  tolerated  on 
that  farm. 

Late  in  the  autumn  and  early  in  the  winter  he 
carried  wood  to  market.  Sometimes  he  went  to 
market  under  unusual  orders,  namely,  the  wood  must 
be  sold  at  such  a  price  [a  stiff  price],  and  the  boy 
return  at  a  given  time  or  be  flogged.  He  had  no 
taste  for  the  latter  antidote,  and  so  he  generally  sold 
the  wood  and  returned  whistling.  We  once  asked 
a  successful  book-agent,  "  What  is  the  secret  of 
your  success?  "  He  replied,  "  Going  home  whistling 
when  I  have  not  sold  enough  to  pay  for  a  dinner." 
Whistling  came  to  Charlie's  rescue  a  great  many 
times.  His  buoyant  spirits  often  lifted  him  out  of 
the  "slough  of  despond;"  nay,  rather,  his  merry- 
making nature  kept  him  from  falUng  into  it. 


LEAVES  HOME. 


57 


One  of  his  tasks  was  frequently  to  go  to  the 
woods  early  in  the  morning,  cut  half  a  cord  of 
wood,  carry  it  to  market,  and  sell  it  before  coming 
home  at  night.  The  penalty  of  failing  to  do  this 
was  a  flogging.  At  that  time  there  were  no  bridges 
in  that  region,  and  rivers  had  to  be  forded;  and  a 
river  lay  between  the  woods  and  the  market.  Fre- 
quently it  was  very  dark  before  he  reached  the 
river,  so  that  he  could  not  see  his  way,  and  he  v/as 
obliged  to  give  loose  reins  to  the  horses,  and  "  trust 
to  luck"  in  fording  the  stream.  Fortunately,  he 
never  met  with  any  misfortune  in  these  hazardous 
adventures,  though  this  fact  did  not  mitigate  the 
cruelty  of  his  employer. 

Once,  in  the  spring  of  the  year,  he  was  ordered 
to  drive  a  four-horse  load  of  coal  to  market,  when  the 
river  to  be  forded  was  unusually  swollen.  Every- 
body about  the  farm  protested  against  such  a  hazard- 
ous undertaking.  The  neighbors  did  not  dare  to 
ford  the  stream  even  in  a  pleasure-wagon.  But  ex- 
postulation availed  nothing.  Mr.  Dexter  said  that 
he  must  go,  and  that  settled  it.  The  boy  went  at 
the  risk  of  his  life.  He  was  threatened  a  "licking-" 
if  any  accident  befell  the  team.  Realizing  fully  the 
perils  of  the  trip,  he  obeyed  orders  ;  and  when  the 
horses  plunged  and  trembled  in  the  swift,  swollen 
river,  with  voice  and  whip  he  urged  them  forward 
with  the  load.  It  was  pitch-dark  when  he  returned, 
so  that  human  vision  and  skill  were  powerless  at  the 
stream.  The  only  alternative  was  to  commit  him- 
self to  the  instinct  of  the  horses,  and  urge  them  for- 


58  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 


ward.  The  stream  was  so  full  and  the  current 
so  rushing  that  he  expected  to  perish  in  the  attempt 
to  cross.  But  a  kind  Providence  watched  over  the 
heroic  lad,  then  only  fifteen  years  of  age,  and  he 
reached  home,  escaping  both  a  "licking"  and  a 
watery  grave.  There  is  no  doubt  that  such  heavy 
responsibility  laid  upon  the  boy  served  to  develop 
his  courage  and  efficiency,  and  thus  bore  some  part 
in  qualifying  him  for  the  grand  things  of  his  man- 
hood.    But  for  all  that  the  hardship  was  cruel. 

The  "bargain"  was,  that  Charlie  should  attend 
the  winter  school  a  term  of  ten  or  twelve  weeks. 
Nominally  he  did,  although  his  schooling  was  often 
interrupted  by  a  pressure  of  work.  Mr.  Dexter  did 
not  appreciate  the  value  of  education  as  he  would 
have  done  if  he  had  not  been  avaricious.  The  loss  of 
one  or  two  days  of  schooling  in  a  week  was  of  little 
account  with  him.  Indeed,  a  whole  week  at  a  time 
Charlie  was  kept  out  of  school  to  drive  the  work  on 
the  farm.  ^  But  such  time  as  he  had  for  school  was 
faithfully  improved.  A  schoolmate  writes  that  he 
"  was  a  bright,  smart  scholar,  always  happy,  popu- 
lar with  teacher  and  scholars,  and  the  best  declaimer 
on  the  staore."  It  seems  that  declamations  and  dia- 
logues  were  spoken  in  school  and  at  evening  exhibi- 
tions ;  and  Charles  stood  foremost  in  the  exercise. 
The  resources  of  his  Lisbon  home  served  him  a 
good  purpose  here,  and  were  just  as  good  as  new  to 
the  people  of  that  region.  He  distinguished  himself 
to  such  a  degree  in  the  elocutionary  art  that  he  be- 
came the  subject  of  remark  and  conversation  in  the 


LEAVES  HOME. 


59 


coQimunity.  Everybody  was  interested  in  him. 
His  popularity  extended  to  the  old  as  well  as  to  the 
young.  He  was  so  genial  and  witty,  that  all  hearts 
were  drawn  to  him.  Says  Colton  :  "There  is  no 
quality  of  the  mind,  or  of  the  body,  that  so  instan- 
taneously and  irresistibly  captivates,  as  wit."  The 
remark  is  true,  whether  it  be  the  v/it  of  a  boy  or 
man. 

In  this  case,  also,  it  drew  sympathy  from  the 
hearts  of  those  townspeople  who  thought  he  was 
having  a  hard  time  on  the  Dexter  farm.  They  ex- 
pressed their  sympathy  in  various  ways.  Sometimes 
they  hailed  him  with  a  kind  salutation  on  the  street ; 
sometimes  they  sent  goodies  to  him  by  their  children 
to  school.  Again  one  would  go  to  him  in  the  field 
with  an  appetizing  lunch.  These  facts  show  that 
Charles  Jewett  was  a  marked  boy  in  that  neigh- 
borhood. 

One  thing  that  particularly  gratified  his  associates 
v/as,  his  gift  in  song  and  speech-making.  He  was 
a  good  singer  for  one  of  his  age,  and  he  easil}" 
caught  lively  airs,  and  delighted  in  humorous  songs. 
Of  these  he  had  many  at  command,  with  which  he 
v/ould  entertain  his  companions,  as  circumstances 
favored.  He  often  gratified  them,  too,  by  speech- 
making,  usually  upon  topics  that  were  uppermost  in 
the  locality.  In  this  respect  he  was  regarded  as 
somewhat  of  a  prodigy,  so  that  he  v/as  often  invited 
lo  mount  a  stump  or  rock  and  deliver  himself  of  a 
speech.  The  young  people  almost  idolized  him  on 
account  of  these  and  other  characteristics. 


6o  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

An  incident  occurred  when  he  was  fourteen  years 
of  age  that  deserves  special  notice  at  this  point. 
Mr.  Dexter  employed  quite  a  gang  of  men  at  the 
coal-pits,  and  often  youth  and  young  men  of  the 
town  were  among  them.  Night  and  day  were  spent 
there  during  the  period  of  coaling,  the  laborers  oc- 
cupying cabins  erected  for  their  convenience.  Their 
evenings  were  often  made  attractive  by  games  and 
sports.  On  a  certain  evening  one  of  the  men  was 
casting  about  for  something  new  to  interest  them, 
when  his  eye  rested  upon  the  "  big  beech  stump  " 
near  by,  that  had  previously  elicited  some  re- 
marks. 

"  Capital  pulpit !  "  exclaimed  the  man.  "  It  only 
needs  a  preacher,  and  we  could  run  a  service." 

"And  here  are  Bible  and  hymn-book,"  responded 
another,  who  chanced  to  have  a  diminutive  copy  of 
each  in  his  pocket. 

"  Who  will  preach  ?  "  called  out  the  first  speaker, 
designing  to  get  sport  out  of  the  affair. 

"Charlie  !  "  answered  several  voices. 

'*  Yes,  Charlie  !  "  was  unanimously  repeated. 

There  was  no  excuse  to  be  accepted  with  that 
company.  Charlie  hesitated,  but  was  forced  to  re- 
spond. So  he  mounted  the  stump,  with  a  resolve  in 
his  heart  that  scoffing  men  should  not  get  much  sport 
out  of  that  affair.  He  gave  out  a  hymn,  reading  it 
with  marked  pathos  and  power,  and  a  few  of  the 
number  united  in  singing  it.  Then  he  proceededto 
preach,  with  an  appearance  of  earnestness,  and  even 
solemnity,  that  caused  jokes  and  facetious  remarkvS 


LEA  VES  HOME. 


e\ 


The  Boy  Charles  Jewett  Preaching  on  a  Stump  at 
THE  Coal-pit. 


to  seem  out  of  place.  He  announced  for  his  text, 
John  iii.  14,  15  :  "And  as  Moses  lifted  up  the  ser- 
pent in  the  wilderness,  even  so  must  the  Son  of  man 
be  lifted  up  ;  that  whosoever  believeth  in  him  should 
not  perish,  but  have  eternal  life."  With  singular 
tact  he  proceeded  to  explain  the  meaning  of  the  pas- 
t^age,  availing  himself  of  his  home  drill  in  the  Cate- 
chism and  Scriptures  to  add  point  and  force  to  his 
discourse.  He  told  his  audience  that  they  were  in 
the  condition  of  the  Israelites  who  w^ere  bitten  by 
the  fiery  serpents,  and  their  only  relief  and  hope  was 
to  look  to  Christ.  Failing  to  do  this,  they  w^ould 
sink  to  hell.     The  plan  of  human  redemotion  v^^as 


62  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

unfolded  just  about  as  clearly  as  he  had  heard  it 
from  the  lips  of  his  honored  pastor,  Mr.  Nelson. 

For  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  he  continued  to  pour 
out  his  fervid  eloquence,  to  the  utter  astonishment 
of  his  hearers.  They  knew  that  he  was  an  orator, 
and  a  boy  of  rare  abilities ;  but  such  a  powerful  ap- 
peal from  his  lips  was  wholly  unexpected.  They 
hung  breathless  upon  his  lips,  losing  all  desire  for 
sport,  captivated  by  the  boy's  earnestness  and  re- 
markable gifts.  When  he  closed,  there  was  not  a 
thoughtless  face  among  the  listeners.  All  jollity  and 
trifling  had  disappeared.  What  began  jocosely, 
ended  seriously.  Young  Whitman,  a  youth  about 
Charlie's  age,  the  son  of  a  Baptist  deacon,  of  the 
town,  was  in  tears,  totally  unable  to  control  his  feel- 
ings, though  all  eyes  were  upon  him.  A  more 
thoughtful  group  of  laborers  never  retired  to  rest 
than  were  Charlie's  hearers  on  that  night. 

The  fame  of  the  young  preacher  spread.  Every 
one  who  heard  him  carried  the  story  of  it  abroad. 
Young  Whitman  reported  to  his  father,  and  the  good 
deacon  said : 

"  He  must  be  a  minister.  We  must  educate  him 
for  the  ministry." 

The  affair  became  so  notorious  that  there  was 
much  talk  among  Christian  people  about  educating 
him  for  the  pulpit.  The  matter  assumed  such  a 
serious  aspect,  that  Deacon  Whitman  conceived  this 
plan  to  enjoy  the  opportunity  of  hearing  Charlie 
preach.  Then  he  could  judge  better  about  his 
fitness   for  the    clerical    profession.      He    proposed 


LEAVES  HOME.  ^2, 


that  his  son  should  invite  a  company  of  young  people 
to  his  house  on  a  given  evening,  when  Charlie  should 
be  requested  to  preach.  The  deacon  and  other  breth- 
ren would  be  in  an  adjoining  room,  unperceived  by 
the  speaker,  where  they  could  hear  the  sermon. 
The  invitations  were  sent  out,  and  on  the  eventful 
evening  a  large  number  for  that  place  assembled. 
But  Charlie,  having  heard  what  the  ruse  was,  did 
not  put  in  his  appearance. 

When  he  was  fifteen  years  old  another  incident 
occurred,  illustrative  of  the  boy  in  another  direction. 
Wrestling  was  a  very  popular  sport  with  young  and 
old  in  that  region.  Charlie  was  initiated  into  the 
practice  soon  after  he  took  up  his  abode  there.  At 
school,  at  noontime,  in  the  woods  and  field,  on  holi- 
days, and  on  various  other  occasions,  men  and  boys 
tried  their  skill  and  strength  in  this  way.  Charlie 
was  not  opposed  to  the  sport ;  he  was  rather  taken 
with  it.  He  proved  an  apt  learner  here,  too,  as 
elsewhere.  He  did  it  well.  That  was  a  rule  with 
him.  "  Whatever  is  worth  doing  at  all,  is  worth 
doing  well,"  —  he  believed  it  fully.  So  he  wrestled 
welL  On  a  certain  holiday,  in  Charlie's  sixteenth 
year,  quite  a  large  company  assembled  to  see  the 
wrestlers  try  their  strength.  Among  the  wrestlers 
was  a  bully  —  a  young  man  of  twenty-one  or  two 
years  of  age,  who  was  generally  successful  in  laying 
his  comrades  on  their  backs.  The  bully  had  suc- 
ceeded in  throwing  quite  a  number  who  were  so 
presumptuous  as  to  risk  an  encounter,  when  one  of 
the  number  proposed  that  Charlie  should  enter  the 


64  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

ring.  He  hesitated,  and  excused  iiimself  at  first, 
but  finally  yielded  to  solicitation.  On  entering  the 
ring,  the  scene  presented  was  a  second  edition  of 
David  and  Goliath.  The  bully  was  more  than  a 
head  taller  than  Ciiarjie,  and  nearl)^  twice  his 
weight.  Yet  the  bully  claimed  the  "under-hold,*' 
but  relinquished  his  claim  when  the  crowd  cried 
"Shame!"  in  derision.  The  contest  began;  and 
Charlie,  who  believed  that  successful  wresthng  de- 
pended on  skill  more  than  strength,  allowed  his 
antagonist  to  exert  and  worry  himself  until  quite 
fatigued,  when,  w^atching  the  favorable  moment,  he 
tripped  the  bully's  feet,  and  laid  him  on  his  back. 
Such  a  yell  of  surprise  and  applause  went  up  from 
the  assembly  as  made  the  welkin  ring.  Cheer  upon 
cheer,  laugh  upon  laugh,  shout  after  shout,  followed, 
until  the  crestfallen  bully  slunk  away  out  of  sight, 
and  was  never  known  thereafter  to  court  notoriety 
in  that  vicinity. 

It  was  Charlie's  tact  and  skill  that  gave  him  suc- 
cess. He  was  neither  large  nor  strong  of  his  age. 
Rather  he  was  small  of  his  age,  though  wiry  and 
athletic.  He  had  scarcely  grown  at  all  in  New 
York  state.  The  neighbors  said  that  his  excessive 
labor  prevented  his  growth.  Be  that  as  it  may,  he 
brought  down  the  Philistine  without  any  parade  or 
boasting. 

When  Charles  had  been  there  about  four  years, 
the  sympathy  for  him  in  town  attained  its  climax. 
People  said  it  was  "  outrageous  for  a  boy  to  be 
vvorkod  as  Dexter   worked   him."      Many   insisted 


LEAVES  HOME.  65 


that  the  authorities  ought  to  interpose  in  behalf  of 
the  boy.  Finally,  the  excitement  reached  such  a 
pitch  that  the  authorities  did  interfere.  They  waited 
upon  Dexter,  and  expressed  the  sentiments  of  the 
people  plainly  and  candidly.  The  result  was,  that 
Charles  returned  to  Lisbon,  Connecticut.  Dexter 
gave  a  final  illustration  of  his  generosity  by  present* 
ing  the  boy  with  one  dollar  to  pay  his  passage  home. 
Here,  again,  Charles  was  equal  to  the  occasion ;  for 
he  walked  nearly  the  whole  distance,  occasionally 
catching  a  ride  with  some  passing  traveller,  using 
his  money  to  buy  food  and  lodgings  as  far  as  it  went, 
and  then  begging  these  the  remainder  of  the  way. 
5 


66  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 


V. 

HOME  AGAIN. 

IT  was  a  glad  welcome  home  that  Charles 
received.  It  was  a  joyous  greeting  that  he 
extended  to  the  old  hearthstone.  He  was  fully 
satisfied  with  pioneer  life ;  and  a  boy  was  never 
happier  than  he  to  escape  from  a  hard  lot.  Still, 
he  had  learned  to  endure  hardness  as  a  good  sol- 
dier; and  the  experience  had  proved  a  benefit  to 
him.  His  self-reliance  and  efficiency  were  devel- 
oped by  his  relentless  service  in  New  York.  There 
was  a  manliness  about  his  methods  that  was  un- 
usual. He  undertook  labor  as  if  he  thoroughly 
understood  it.  There  was  a  promptness  and  dis- 
patch in  his  movements  that  indicated  both  ac- 
quaintance and  ability. 

The  nail-shop  had  attractions  for  him  now  which 
it  never  possessed  before.  It  was  paradise  to  him 
in  comparison  with  the  drudgery  and  hardship  of 
his  farm-life.  He  turned  off  nails  with  a  relish  and 
facility  that  caused  his  father  to  smile.  The  pros- 
pect was  that  he  would  be  a  nailer  by  trade.  We 
think  that  the  farm  and  nail-shop  did  more  to  make 
him  the  practical  man  that  he  became  than  college 
could  have  done. 


HOME  AGAIN.  67 


During  the  winter  following  his  return,  he  again 
attended  the  district  school.  An  incident  occurred 
at  that  term  of  school  illustrative  of  his  politeness. 
In  his  presence,  a  boy  indulged  himself  in  vulgar 
remarks  before  the  girls.  Partly  in  a  vein  of  pleas- 
antry, and  partly  as  a  rebuke,  Charles  seized  the 
lad  by  his  coat-collar,  and  whirled  him  round  and 
round.  In  his  circuit  through  the  air,  his  head  hit 
the  stove-pipe,  cutting  quite  a  gash  over  his  temple. 
The  blood  flowed  freely  for  a  few  moments,  and 
Charles  poured  out  his  regrets  in  profusion  at  what 
he  had  done,  proceeding  at  once  to  bind  up  the 
wound  and  put  matters  on  a  peaceable  footing.  His 
genuine  politeness,  however,  was  manifest,  notwith- 
standing the  accident.  He  had  no  sympathy  with 
pranks  or  language  that  smacked  of  rudeness  or 
vulgarity.  In  the  presence  of  ladies,  he  thought 
every  youth  was  put  upon  his  good  behavior.  This 
was  a  noble  trait. 

In  the  spring  following,  Charles  and  his  brother 
Thomas  had  an  opportunity  to  work  in  a  nail-shop 
at  Norwich,  w^here  they  could  board  with  a  sister. 
The  opportunity  was  improved,  and  they  remained 
there  some  ten  months.  Both  pleased  their  employer 
by  their  unremitting  industry  and  tact ;  and  both 
studiously  labored  to  improve  themselves  mentally 
in  their  evening  hours.  There  was  a  small  circu- 
lating library  in  the  village,  where  books  could  be 
had  at  a  few  cents  per  day  each.  As  a  matter  of 
economy  in  their  straitened  circumstances,  they 
took  out  but  one  book  at  a  time,  reading  it  together 


6S  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

by  the  light  of  one  tallow  candle.  Sitting  side  by 
side,  the}^  would  read  a  volume,  turning  the  leaves 
to  suit  each  other,  soon  learning  to  read  a  page  in 
about  the  same  time.  In  this  way,  volume  after 
volume  of  biography,  history,  and  travels  were 
carefully  read,  and  their  contents  treasured  in  re- 
tentive memories.  They  purchased  Weams's  "  Life 
of  Washington,"  in  which  both  were  specially  inter- 
ested, reading  it  again  and  again,  until  both  could 
repeat  a  good  part  of  it. 

During  their  ten  months'  residence  in  Norwich 
they  scarcely  spent  an  evening  away  from  home, 
but  improved  every  moment  in  reading.  Neither 
of  them  had  much  taste  for  light  reading  at  that 
time.  Charles  had  developed  rapidly,  and  now  he 
thirsted  for  knowledge  as  never  before.  He  began 
to  think  about  becoming  a  doctor.  He  had  no  idea 
of  making  nails  for  a  living  all  his  days.  He  could 
not  understand  exactly  how  the  object  could  be  ac- 
complished, but  he  knew  that  poorer  boys  than  he 
had  become  doctors,  lawyers,  and  ministers.  He 
was  earning  money  slowly,  and  he  could  earn  more 
as  he  grev/  older,  and  possibly  his  father  might  ren- 
der him  some  aid ;  at  any  rate,  he  could  lay  out  the 
road  to  the  medical  profession  on  paper,  though  he 
might  never  travel  it  in  reality.  Difficulties,  how- 
ever, did  not  discourage  him  —  he  was  not  that  sort 
of  a  youth.  Like  Sir  Charles  Napier,  "difficulties 
made  his  feet  go  deeper  into  the  ground."  Though  he 
did  not  have  the  sentiment  clear  cut  and  well-defined 
in  his  soul,  —  namely,  that  "necessity  and  not  faciUty 


HOME  AGAIN. 


69 


is  the  secret  of  success,"  —  the  gist  of  it  was  there, 
nevertheless.  If  Wilkie  could  learn  to  sketch  on  a 
barn-door  with  a  burnt  stick;  if  Stothard  could 
acquire  the  art  of  combining  colors  by  studying 
the  wings  of  a  butterfly ;  if  Ferguson  could  make  a 
clock  with  a  common  pocket-knife  ;  if  Gifford  could 
work  out  his  first  problems  in  mathematics  on  scraps 
of  leather  pounded  smooth ;  if  Rittenhouse  could 
calculate  eclipses  on  his  plough-handle ;  if  Hugh 
Miller  could  carve  the  fortunes  of  a  geologist  out 
of  the  "Old  Red  Sandstone;  "  and  if  hundreds  of 
others  could  win  the  object  of  their  highest  ambi- 
tion in  spite  of  poverty,  obscurity,  and  difficulty,  — 
then  there  was  a  chance  for  him  to  exchange  the 
nail-shop  for  a  doctor's  office. 

His  ten  months'  residence  in  Norwich  proved  of 
great  service  to  him.  We  think  that  really  it  deter- 
mined his  course  into  the  medical  profession.  From 
that  time  his  mind  was  eager  for  knowledge,  and 
all  his  thoughts  and  aims  seemed  to  turn  in  that  di- 
rection. With  all  his  mirth  he  possessed  an  indom- 
itable spirit,  that,  once  directed  in  a  given  course, 
knew  no  faltering.  Buxton,  the  English  philan- 
thropist, said,  "The  longer  I  live,  the  more  I  am 
certain  that  the  great  difference  between  men,  be- 
tween the  feeble  and  the  powerful,  is  energy^  invin- 
cible determination  —  a  purpose  once  fixed,  and 
then  death  or  victory.  That  quality  will  do  any- 
thing that  can  be  done  in  this  world ;  and  no  tal- 
ents, no  circumstances,  no  opportunities,  will  make 
a   two-legged   creature   a   man   without  it."     That 


^O  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

Charles  Jewett  possessed  this  quality  in  an  eminent 
degree,  the  story  of  his  life  fully  proves.  From 
the  time  that  he  served  in  the  Norv^ich  nail-shop  it 
took  direction,  growing  more  and  more  intense  from 
year  to  year,  until  finally  it  was  "  death  or  victory." 

He  must  have  saved  nine  or  ten  hundred  hours 
for  reading  during  that  period,  the  value  of  which 
cannot  be  estimated.  From  fifteen  to  twenty  thou- 
sand pages  must  have  been  read  in  that  time,  which 
is  equal  to  forty  fair-sized  volumes.  This  amount 
of  reading,  divided  between  history,  biography,  and 
travels,  provides  a  fund  of  information  that  the 
retentive  memory  will  carry  into  future  years. 

It  was  a  rich  vein  that  he  struck  here ;  it  was  a 
mine.  When  a  youth  understands  that  leisure  hours 
need  not,  and  must  not  be,  idle  hours,  he  has  taken 
a  long  step  upwards.  Just  here  thousands  of  youth 
make  a  fatal  mistake.  Just  here  Charles  Jewett 
made  a  significant  strike.  He  found  an  inspiration 
in  leisure  hours  that  not  only  fired  his  brain,  but 
nerved  his  arms  for  manual  labor.  The  more  he 
thirsted  for  knowledge,  the  more  he  was  willing  to 
work  for  it  with  his  hands.  Brain-work  reconciled 
him  to  hand-work,  and  hand-work  stimulated  brain- 
work.  Both  together  laid  the  foundation  of  his 
success.  Neither  of  them  alone,  in  the  circum- 
stances, would  or  could  have  made  him  what  he 
Decame. 

Carlyle  once  wrote  to  a  young  man  who  sought 
his  advice  :  "  It  is  not  by  books  alone,  nor  by  books 
chiefly,  that  a   man  becomes  in  all  parts  a  man. 


HOME  AGAIN. 


71 


Study  to  do  faithfully  whatever  thing  in  your  actual 
situation,  there  and  now,  you  find,  either  expressly 
or  tacitly,  laid  to  your  charge;  that  is  your  post; 
stand  to  it  like  a  true  soldier.  A  man  perfects  him- 
self by  work  much  more  than  by  reading.  They 
are  a  growing  kind  of  men  that  can  wisely  combine 
the  two  things,  —  wisely,  valiantly  can  do  what  is 
laid  to  their  hand  in  their  present  sphere,  and  pre- 
pare themselves  withal  for  doing  other  wider  things, 
if  such  lie  before  them." 

If  this  counsel  had  been  written  especially  foi 
Charles  Jewett,  he  could  not  have  reduced  it  to 
practice  more  thoroughly  than  he  did  in  youth  and 
later  life. 

It  was  this  principle  and  spirit,  as  we  shall  see, 
that  enabled  Charles  Jewett  to  improve  his  mind 
when  engaged  in  manual  labor,  to  explore  science 
and  study  English  and  American  literature,  after 
entering  the  medical  profession,  and  to  acquaint 
himself  with  various  branches  of  knowledge  and 
arts  of  industry  when  his  time  was  occupied  by 
philanthropic  labors. 

Soon  after  he  closed  his  labors  at  Norwich,  he 
entered  the  Academy  at  Plainfield,  Conn.,  a  few 
miles  from  his  native  place.  It  was  an  era  in  his 
life  when  he  became  a  member  of  the  Plainfield 
Academy.  It  was  his  first  actual  step  towards 
the  medical  profession.  The  school  was  good 
and  popular  for  that  day,  though  its  curricu- 
lum was  limited  to  the  English  branches.  Latin 
even  was  not  taught,  and,  of  course,  youth  were 


^2  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

not  prepared  for  college  there.  Nor  was  Charles 
looking  collegeward.  That  was  out  of  the  ques- 
tion, owing  to  his  poverty.  He  could  continue  but 
two  terms  in  the  Academy,  and  he  must  make  the 
most  of  that ;  and  he  did.  They  w^ere  two  terms 
of  close  application  and  rapid  progress.  He  enjoyed 
it.  His  teacher  enioyed  it,  too.  A  more  popular 
and  brilliant  student  had  not  attended  the  Academy. 
His  rare  social  qualities  drew  many  firm  friends 
around  him,  while  his  sparkling  wit  made  the  scene 
lively  and  happy.  In  composition  and  declamation 
he  excelled.  Unlike  many  students,  he  never  shirked 
these  important  exercises,  nor  any  others.  His  com- 
positions were  always  characteristic,  possessing  a 
vein  of  humor  that  charmed,  while  they  abounded 
with  thought.  He  wrote  one  upon  "The  Cradle,'* 
that  has  been  remembered  for  its  originality  and  in- 
genuity. The  hearers  supposed  that  it  was  the 
familiar  and  useful  thing  for  rocking  babies,  as  they 
listened  to  its  serio-comic  description  to  the  very 
last  paragraph,  when  their  sobriety  was  turned  to 
laughter  by  learning  that  it  was  the  common  imple- 
ment for  cradling  grain.  The  whole  school  soon 
learned  to  expect  real  entertainment  when  Jewett 
read  a  composition.  And  it  was  equally  so  with 
declamations.  He  carried  his  audience  every  time. 
His  power  of  imitation  enabled  him  to  make  his 
speech  seem  reality.  His  face  spoke  as  well  as  his 
voice.  Indeed,  he  spoke  all  over  ;  for  he  threw  his 
whole  soul  into  it,  just  as  he  did  into  everything. 
His  reputation  at  the  Plainfield  Academy,  when  his 


HOME  AGAIN.  73 


academic  career  closed,  was  that  of  a  talented, 
witty,  genial,  promising  young  man. 

On  returning  to  his  home,  the  all-important  ques- 
tion was.  What  next?  For  a  season  he  applied  him- 
self to  labor  on  the  farm  and  in  the  nail-shop,  im- 
proving his  spare  hours  in  study  and  reading.  It 
vas  settled,  finally,  that  he  should  study  medicine 
vith  Dr.  Elijah  Baldwin,  a  physician  of  consider- 
ible  note  in  South  Canterbury,  three  or  four  miles 
distant.  The  doctor  had  several  medical  students 
pursuing  their  studies  with  him,  attending  medical 
lectures  at  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  or  elsewhere,  in  the 
winter.  But  he  must  acquire  some  knowledge  of 
Latin  first.  An  interview  with  the  pastor.  Rev. 
Levi  Nelson,  resulted  in  the  arrangement  to  study 
Latin  with  him.  Mr.  Nelson  had  already  engaged 
to  teach  Miss  Frances  Calkins,  a  teacher  in  Nor- 
wich, a  young  lady  of  acknowledged  talents  and 
literary  taste.  It  was  settled  that  the  two  should 
study  Latin  together,  and  commence  at  once. 

"  It  is  claimed,"  said  Miss  Calkins  to  young  Jew- 
ett,  "  that  females  do  not  possess  the  ability  of  males  ; 
and  that  so  high  scholarship  ought  not  to  be  ex- 
pected of  them." 

"  I  don't  know  about  that,"  answered  Jewett ; 
"  but  I  feel  quite  sure  that  some  females  have  more 
talents  than  some  men,  and  make  better  scholars." 

"  Nor  is  that  much  of  a  compliment,"  replied  Miss 
Calkins,  "  since  some  men  have  not  much  ability  to 
boast  of." 

Jewett  laughed,  and  suggested  that  the  present 


74 


LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 


might  be  a  good  opportunity  to  settle  the  question 
between  the  sexes  —  that  he  would  represent  the 
male  portion  of  humanity,  and  she  the  female  part, 
the  result  of  the  contest  determining  which  sex 
possessed  superiority  of  intellect — a  sort  of  Adam 
and  Eve  arrangement,  with  the  forbidden  fruit  left 
out,  and  much  pleasantry  put  in. 

Miss  Calkins  accepted  the  proposition  in  high 
glee,  and  the  contest  began  about  May,  1825.  It 
was  a  short,  animated,  sharp  contest,  brimful  of 
fun.  In  three  weeks,  Jewett  was  so  far  in  advance 
of  his  fair  contestant  that  he  was  reciting  alone  to 
his  pastor.  The  young  lady  did  nobly,  and  proved 
herself  to  be  an  excellent  scholar ;  but  both  she  and 
her  teacher  were  surprised  to  witness  the  strides  of 
her  opponent  over  the  Latin  race-course.  He  car- 
ried off  the  prize,  though  it  rather  annoyed  his  gal- 
lantry "  to  beat  a  woman."  This  young  lady  became 
one  of  Connecticut's  most  accomplished  women, 
and  several  years  ago  she  wrote  the  "History  of 
Norwich." 

In  six  weeks  Mr.  Nelson  reported  that  young 
Jewett  had  mastered  the  amount  of  Latin  required 
at  the  commencement  of  a  medical  course ;  adding 
his  opinion  that  it  was  a  very  remarkable  feat !  The 
amount  required  was  the  Latin  Grammar  and  the 
whole  of  Virgil. 

All  this  time  Charles  was  at  home,  and  found 
more  or  less  work  to  do  on  the  farm  and  in  the  shop. 
Every  day  a  portion  of  his  time  was  given  to  phys- 
ical   labor,   both   as   a  necessity    and   for    needful 


HOME  AGAIN.  75 


exercise.  The  celebrated  Dr.  Arnold  held  that 
pupils  would  accomplish  a  great  deal  more  by 
devoting  a  liberal  portion  i^f  their  time  to  physical 
labor.  He  once  remarked:  "I  would  far  rather 
send  a  boy  to  Van  Diemen's  Land,  where  he  must 
work  for  his  bread,  than  send  him  to  Oxford  to  live 
in  luxury,  without  any  desire  in  his  mind  to  avail 
himself  of  the  advantages.  ...  If  there  be  one 
thing  on  earth  which  is  truly  admirable,  it  is  to  see 
God's  wisdom  blessing  an  inferiority  of  natural 
powers,  when  they  have  been  honestly,  truly,  and 
zealously  cultivated."  There  is  no  doubt  that  Charles 
Jewett  made  a  stronger  man  intellectually  because  he 
was  under  the  necessity  of  laboring  with  his  hands 
in  early  life. 


76  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 


VI. 

THE  MEDICAL  STUDENT. 

ABOUT  the  time  that  Charles  began  the  study 
of  medicine,  rumors  reached  the  family  of 
opposition  to  the  sale  and  use  of  intoxicating  liquors 
in  some  localities.  This  rumor  caused  discussion 
upon  the  subject  at  the  fireside,  all  regarding  hostil- 
ity to  the  traffic  as  just  and  wise.  Father  and  sons 
knew  that  intemperance  had  made  sad  work  in  Lis- 
bon families,  and  that  many  of  them  procured  the 
agent  of  their  ruin  at  the  liquor-shop  near  by. 
Everybody  drank  intoxicating  liquors  at  that  time, 
and  most  people  regarded  such  beverages  as  indis- 
pensable to  health  and  longevity.  They  were  con- 
sidered indispensable,  also,  as  a  pledge  of  friend- 
ship !  They  were  found  on  every  sideboard,  and 
were  used  by  all  classes.  Ministers  used  them  as 
freely  as  their  people.  Christian  men,  and  even 
deacons  of  churches,  sold  them  without  the  least 
compunction  of  conscience.  They  were  used  on  all 
occasions  ;  at  parties,  weddings,  funerals,  ordination 
of  ministers,  military  trainings,  when  visitors  came 
and  went,  when  neighbors  met,  in  field,  and  house, 
and  shop,  everywhere,  these  fiery  beverages  were 
used,  and  scarcely  any  one  had  raised  the  question 


THE  MEDICAL    STUDENT.  77 

of  impropriety  or  wrong  about  the  custom.  Here 
and  there  might  be  found  a  person  who  refrained 
from  drinking  them  because  of  some  natural  aver- 
sion. There  was  one  such  person  in  Mr.  Jewett's 
family.  His  son  Joseph  could  never  be  prevailed* 
upon  to  take  a  swallow  of  the  stuff.  He  abominated 
the  taste  of  it,  and  declared  that  he  was  better  off 
without  than  with  it.  When  a  party  said  to  him, 
"  But,  Joseph,  you  cannot  stand  it  on  water  alone, 
through  these  long  hot  days,  and  in  the  midst  of 
such  severe  labor,  without  a  little  stimulus.  You 
will  be  faint  and  give  out  before  night,"  he  replied, 
"  Well,  when  I  do  you  will  know  it." 

No  one  ever  saw  Joseph  "  give  out ;  "  so  that  in 
the  Jewett  family  the  common  theory  that  intoxicat- 
ing liquors  would  promote  endurance  by  imparting 
strength,  was  not  exactly  current.  Then  a  man 
was  found  occasionally,  like  Charles's  father,  and 
Mrs.  Jewett's  "  grandfather  Adams,"  who  took  but 
one  glass  per  day,  and  that  at  eleven  o'clock  a.  m. 
But  such  cases  were  exceptional.  Moderate  drink- 
ing was  universal,  and  immoderate  drinking  was 
fearfully  prevalent.  Drunkards  were  more  numer- 
ous than  saints.  Charles  could  count  "one-tenth 
of  the  male  population  of  his  native  town  who  were 
occasional  or  habitual  drunkards." 

One  evening  Mr.  Jewett  was  discussing  the  sub- 
ject with  his  sons,  and  deprecating  the  ravages  of 
intemperance,  when  he  said  to  Charles  : 

"Charles,  you  are  always  scribbling  about  some- 
thing, and  for  the  most  part,  T  think,  on  matters  of 


tjS  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT. 

very  little  importance ;  and  now,  if  you  have  any 
gifts  in  connection  with  the  use  of  the  quill,  try  your 
hand  for  once  on  a  subject  of  some  consequence." 

"  What  would  you  have  me  do  ?  "  inquired  Charles. 

"  Go  into  your  chamber  to-morrow  morning,  and 
write  an  address  to  the  authorities  of  this  town,  and 
endeavor  to  show  them  the  folly  and  wickedness  of 
granting  men  license  to  destroy  the  peace  and  happi- 
ness of  the  neighborhood  by  selling  liquors  ;  for  that 
is  the  result  of  the  sale  any  way;  and  men  with  but 
half  an  eye  ought  to  see  it." 

It  is  quite  evident  that  Charles's  father  had  his 
eyes  open  to  see  the  curse  of  rum  at  that  time,  al- 
though he  was  not  an  abstainer.  It  is  clear,  also, 
that  Providence  was  disciplining  the  son,  through 
the  father,  for  a  temperance  career  second  to  that 
of  no  man  who  ever  lived ;  and  it  was  a  good  be- 
ginning. 

Charles  adopted  his  father's  advice,  and  on  the 
next  morning  went  to  his  room,  where  he  produced, 
at  one  sitting,  an  "  Appeal  to  the  Town  Authorities 
in  Rhyme."  The  following  is  an  extract  that  shows 
its  pitli  and  point. 

We  are  not  to  read  this  and  other  subsequent 
poetical  effusions  to  learn  their  intrinsic  value,  but 
for  the  look  it  affords  us  into  the  soul  of  the  youth. 
His  aspirations,  aims,  and  principles  appear  as  un- 
mistakably in  these  rhythmic  efforts,  as  they  would 
were  he  the  sweetest  poet  of  the  land. 

"  Most  of  the  evils  to  this  fount  we  trace, 
Which  blast  our  pleasures  and  destroy  our  race. 


THE  MEDICAL   STUDENT. 


79 


Foi  this  the  widow  mourns  her  husband  dead  ; 
For  this  the  starving  children  cry  for  bread  ; 
For  this  the  wife  sits  waiting  for  her  spouse, 
At  midnight  hour,  and  ponders  o'er  her  w^oes ; 
While  he,  poor  wretch,  all  power  of  moving  fled, 
Sleeps  b}'-  the  fence,  or  in  yon  crazy  shed. 
In  vain  she  goes  and  listens  at  the  door : 
The  sighing  breeze,  the  torrent's  distant  roar, 
Are  all  she  hears ;  now,  where  her  children  sleep 
She  casts  one  look,  and  then  lies  down  to  weep. 
Now,  tell  me,  what  on  earth  can  comfort  bring? 
Or  from  wdiat  source  shall  smiling  pleasure  spring?  '* 

It  closed  with  this  appeal  to  the  fathers  of  the 
town  : 

"  Oh  banish  grog-shops,  and  suppress  the  ill ; 
Delay  no  longer,  but  your  part  fulfil : 
Rescue  the  fallen,  sinking  age  regard, 
And  Heaven's  rich  blessing  be  your  great  reward." 

His  father  was  highly  pleased  with  the  production, 
and  posted  off  to  Norwich,  where  he  had  a  hundred 
copies  of  it  printed.  The  next  Saturday  night,  after 
counseling  secrecy  in  the  matter,  he  and  his  sons 
tacked  up  copies  of  it  in  different  parts  of  the  town. 
Some  were  tacked  to  front  gates  ;  others  were  care- 
fully folded  and  slipped  under  door-knockers  or 
thrust  under  front  doors.  One  was  tacked  to  the 
box  on  the  whipping-post,  that  still  stood  in  front 
of  the  meeting-house,  —  a  relic  of  olden  times,  when 
crimes  were  punished  by  flogging. 

The  excitement  occasioned  by  this  first  assault 
upon  the  liquor  traffic  was  novel  for  those  times. 


8o  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT, 

Many  were  pleased  with  the  demonstration  ;  others 
condemned  it.  Church-goers  crowded  about  the 
whipping-post,  Sunday  noon,  to  read  the  remarka- 
ble production,  that  was  so  hard  upon  a  business 
which  most  of  the  readers  considered  respectable. 
Charles  elbowed  his  way  through  the  crowd,  as 
eager  as  any  of  them  to  read  the  document.  His 
manner  and  remarks  were  well  suited  to  cause  men 
to  look  away  from  the  Jewett  family  to  discover  the 
author.  The  poetical  effusion  was  discussed  more 
on  that  day  than  the  pastor's  sermons.  At  nearly 
every  hearthstone  it  was  the  subject  of  remark  and 
criticism;  and,  on  the  whole,  it  proved  a  very  effi- 
cient method  to  arouse  the  community  to  the  evils  of 
intemperance,  and  set  people  to  thinking  upon  the 
subject  and  discussing  it.  It  startled  like  a  bomb- 
shell unexpectedly  thrown  into  the  enemies'  camp. 

We  judge  that  the  pastor  was  not  an  indifferent 
spectator,  because  one  year  thereafter  he  caused 
the  organization  of  a  temperance  society,  though  the 
pledge  prohibited  only  the  sale  and  use  of  spirituous 
liquors.  Charles  was  one  of  the  first  to  sign  the 
pledge,  the  members  of  his  father's  family  doing  the 
same.  Mr.  Nelson  also  preached  upon  the  subject, 
taking  advanced  ground  for  that  day.  A  year  later 
we  find  that  Mr.  Jewett  wrote  to  Charles,  who  was 
attending  medical  lectures  at  Pittsfield,  Massachu- 
setts, as  follows : 

"Mr.  Nelson  gave  the  young  men  a  lecture  on 
ardent  spirits  this  afternoon  (November  9,  1828), 
from  the  text,  *  Young  men,  I  exhort  to  be  sober- 


THE  MEDICAL   STUDENT.  8l 

minded,'  which  I  hope  will  make  all  the  inhabitants 
temperate,  if  they  do  not  wholly  refrain  from  drink- 
ing spirits." 

Charles  was  nearly  or  quite  nineteen  years  of  age 
when  he  began  the  study  of  medicine.  He  boarded 
with  Dr.  B.  when  he  studied  with  him,  going  home 
on  Saturday  nights  to  spend  his  Sabbaths.  At  the 
same  time  that  he  pursued  his  medical  studies,  he 
turned  his  hand  to  farming,  especially  in  hay-time, 
whenever  Dr.  B.  needed  additional  help  upon  his 
large  farm. 

Several  other  students  were  in  Dr.  B.'s  family, 
among  them  Reuben  Crandall,  who,  subsequently, 
espoused  the  anti-slavery  cause,  and  was  imprisoned 
in  Baltimore  for  aiding  slaves  to  their  freedom.  He 
was  brother  of  Miss  Prudence  Crandall,  whose 
school  for  colored  girls  in  Canterbury  was  broken 
up  by  the  pro-slavery  mobocratic  spirit  that  possessed 
the  defenders  of  slaver}^  at  that  day.  These  things 
may  have  exerted  a  strong  influence  upon  the  heart 
of  Charles  Jewett,  subsequently,  to  make  him  the 
fearless  advocate  of  emancipation  that  he  became. 

Charles  "took  to  medicine  surprisingl}^"  as  a 
person  remarked.  The  only  profession  that  most 
people  seemed  to  think  God  made  him  for  was  the 
clerical,  provided  he  became  a  Christian ;  so  that  it 
was  a  surprise  to  many  that  he  applied  himself  to 
medicine  as  if  he  meant  business.  Sharp  discrimi- 
nation and  nice  analysis,  for  which  he  was  qualified 
by  nature,  prepared  him  to  appreciate  this  new 
branch  of  science.  Even  this,  however,  could  not 
6 


82  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

absorb  his  interest  in  agriculture,  horticulture,  music, 
and  other  departments  of  knowledge.  He  criticised 
the  methods  of  raising  fruit  that  were  generally 
adopted,  especially  the  method  of  raising  peaches. 
He  begged  Dr.  B.  to  allow  him  the  opportunity  to 
graft  and  bud  in  order  to  illustrate  the  truth  of  his 
statements.  So  Dr.  Baldwin  gave  him  full  scope  on 
his  farm,  and  the  young  thinker  worked  with  a  will 
to  establish  his  views  upon  the  peach  crop.  The 
result  was  that  ten  or  fifteen  years  thereafter  Dr.  B. 
had  the  finest  peach  orchard  anywhere  in  that 
vicinity,  and  just  as  enduring  as  it  was  prolific.  Dr. 
B.  considered  that  the  result  was  a  proof  of  the  cor- 
rectness of  Charles's  ideas  of  budding  and  grafting, 
as  well  as  of  the  selection  and  quality  of  original 
fruits.  Samples  of  his  grafting  are  to  be  seen  in 
extra  apple-trees  on  the  Baldwin  homestead  to-day. 
His  interest  in  botany,  too,  rather  increased. 
Very  often  he  would  come  down  from  his  room  in 
the  morning,  and  go  at  his  medical  lesson,  as  one 
who  had  other  irons  in  the  fire  awaiting  his  atten- 
tion ;  and  in  an  incredible  short  time  his  lesson  was 
learned,  and  away  he  w^ould  go  to  experiment  in  his 
profession,  or  to  botanize  in  the  fields,  gathering- 
specimens,  and  pushing  investigations.  He  became 
in  later  years  a  skilled  botanist,  and  yet  made  no 
pretensions  in  that  direction.  Few  men  or  women 
ever  excelled  him  in  knowledge  of  plants  of  every 
description,  flowers  of  every  hue  and  color,  and 
herbs  of  every  sort,  whether  possessing  medicinal 
qualities  or  not.      The  methods  of  preserving  plants 


THE  MEDICAL  STUDENT.  83 


and  flowers,  the  soil  best  adapted  to  their  culture, 
together  with  their  habits  and  nature,  whether  stiardy 
or  otherwise,  w^ere  all  familiar  to  him. 

He  became  a  fact  friend  of  "  Old  Buck,"  a  favorite 
dog  in  the  family.  It  was  in  his  line  to  befriend  the 
canine  race  ;  and  such  a  venerable  and  clever  canine 
as  "  Old  Buck"  wrought  largely  upon  his  sympa- 
thies. They  would  do  anything  for  each  other  thai 
was  reasonable.  But  Charlie's  fondness  for  experi- 
menting in  the  uses  of  medicine  got  the  better  of  his 
tender  sympathies  one  day ;  and  he  administered  a 
dose  of  asafoetida  to  the  confiding  animal.  His 
object  was  to  study  the  effects  of  the  nast}^  drug 
upon  the  brute,  which  he  did  to  his  satisfaction.  The 
poor  dog  expressed  his  disgust  for  the  nauseating 
medicine  by  all  sorts  of  canine  contortions  of  the 
face,  and  by  lively  exercise  over  the  yard.  He  cut 
Charlie's  acquaintance,  and  never  more  allowed 
himself  to  play  the  role  of  patient  for  a  young  doctor 
to  experiment  upon. 

During  the  first  season  of  his  study  with  Dr.  Bald- 
win, he  rendered  some  service  at  manual  labor  in 
hay-time.  Then,  it  was  not  thought  to  be  possible 
to  make  hay  successfully,  or  do  any  other  farm- 
work  well,  without  rum.  Medical  practitioners  gen- 
erally recommended  its  use  to  impart  strength  ;  also, 
to  keep  out  the  heat  in  summer  and  the  cold  in  win- 
ter. But  Charles  discarded  the  whole  rum  theory; 
he  did  not  believe  in  it.  So  that,  on  the  very  thresh- 
old of  the  study  of  medical  science,  he  began  to 
doubt  and  even  to  reject  medical  theories. 


84  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

"  You  can't  labor  at  haying  on  cold  water  alone, 
without  giving  out  before  night,"  said  Dr.  B.  "It 
might  be  possible  in  cold  weather,  but  in  hot  weath- 
er hard  labor  is  impossible  without  spirits." 

"The  proof  of  the  pudding  is  in  the  eating;  wait 
and  see,"  replied  Charles.  "  I  can  work  as  long  and 
as  hard  as  any  man  on  the  farm  without  rum. 
There  is  my  brother  Joe,  who  never  drank  a  glass 
of  rum  in  his  life,  —  he  will  endure  as  long,  and 
perform  as  muf;h  hard  work,  as  the  stoutest  rum- 
drinker  ;  and  I  can  do  the  same." 

"And  do  as  much  work,  like  mowing,  raking, 
and  pitching,  as  the  men   I  hire?"  inquired  Dr.  B. 

"Yes,  do  as  much  w^ork  —  mow  as  much,  rake  as 
much,  and  pitch  as  much,"  answered  Charles. 

"Well,  I  shall  believe  it  when  I  see  it,"  retorted 
Dr.  B.  "  You  will  have  ample  opportunity  to  test 
your  theory  in  the  hay-field." 

"  Of  course,"  said  Charles  ;  "  and  if  I  do  not  do  as 
much  work  as  your  man  Brown,  and  keep  at  it  as 
long,  then  I  will  yield  my  hostility  to  rum,  and  own 
that  it  is  good." 

The  discussion  was  long  and  animated,  and  much 
more  was  said,  of  course,  than  we  have  space  to 
record.  But  it  was  settled  that  Brown  should  have 
the  rum,  and  Charles  should  have  the  water,  except 
that  the  latter  stipulated  for  a  given  quantity  of 
milk  porridge. 

He  plunged  into  haying  with  all  his  heart.  The 
scythe  flew,  and  the  rake  flew,  and  the  pitchfork 
flew%  and  Brown  flew  also,  to  keep  out  of  his  way. 


THE  MEDICAL  STUDENT.  85 

He  neither  lagged  nor  faltered  under  the  blaze  of  the 
hottest  sun;  and  his  excellent  humor  withstood  the 
racket  of  the  race  well.  He  was  as  bright,  chipper, 
and  jolly  at  sundown  as  he  was  at  sunrise,  while 
Brown  looked  tired  and  lank,  as  if  he  wanted  to  take 
another  glass  and  go  immediately  to  bed.  Charles 
was  ready  at  the  close  of  ea^h  day  for  a  jump  in  the 
door-yard,  or  to  go  and  see  the  girls.  We  have  no 
doubt  that  "  he  put  the  best  foot  forward  ;  "  he  would 
have  been  extremely  foolish  to  have  done  otherwise. 
It  was  a  match  betw^een  cold  w^ater  and  rum  :  and 
the  latter  came  off  second  best.  Water  and  porridge 
found  a  noble  champion  in  the  unfledged  doctor.  So 
did  rum  find  an  heroic  worker  in  Brow^n ;  but  rum 
cannot  give  what  it  does  not  possess.  It  had  no  more 
strength  to  bestow  fifty  years  ago  than  it  has  now. 

From  that  time  until  his  death  the  subject  of  this 
memoir  was  at  war  with  the  doctors  as  to  the  vital- 
izing effects  of  alcohol,  though  he  never  denied  that 
there  is  a  place  for  it  in  the  materia  medica.  We 
shall  learn  hereafter  how  far  these  views  of  his 
youth  were  carried  out  in  his  medical  practice  and 
public  teaching. 

Charles  w^as  the  same  fun-loving  and  fun-making 
fellow  as  a  student  of  medicine  that  he  was  every- 
where else.  He  made  merry  times  for  the  group  of 
students  and  for  the  family.  He  sang  and  played 
the  flute  well.  He  could  also  play  the  violin  and 
bass-viol,  although  these  latter  instruments  were 
not  in  use  at  Dr.  B.'s.  His  musical  talents  came 
in  to  augment  the  general  fund  of  pleasure,  as  well 


86  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

as  to  dignify  some  humorous  scenes  that  might  not 
have  been  so  well  enjoyed  without  them.  All  his  other 
resources  of  fun-making  were  drawn  upon  to  con- 
tribute to  a  good  time  generally.  His  remarkable 
powers  of  mimicry  became  increasingly  popular.  It 
spread  into  the  neighborhood.  The  young  people 
could  not  enjoy  a  party  without  Charles.  His  pres- 
ence was  "  as  good  as  a  play  "  anywhere.  A  lady 
about  his  age,  one  of  the  girls  who  knew  him  well 
fift}^  years  ago  and  upwards,  writes  : 

"  I  well  remember  that  first  essay  on  temperance 
that  he  wrote,  addressed  to  the  selectmen  of  the 
town,  and  what  a  commotion  it  made.  He  was 
much  given  to  writing  poetry  about  that  time  on  va- 
rious subjects.  He  was  a  youth  of  rare  talents  and 
ability,  brimful  of  fun,  and  the  most  perfect  mimic 
I  ever  saw.  I  have  in  my  mind  two  or  three  in- 
stances where  the  acting  was  perfect.  It  was  not 
done  with  the  intent  to  ridicule  or  disparage  the 
characters  of  the  persons  represented,  but  for  a  little 
pleasantry  and  fun." 

Allusion  is  made  here  to  his  ability  to  imitate  the 
eccentricities  of  persons.  At  that  time  he  would 
exactly  represent  persons  in  town,  men  and  women, 
noted  for  a  peculiar  gait,  a  peculiar  voice,  a  peculiar 
motion  of  the  body  or  use  of  language.  This  power 
became  of  great  service  to  him  in  his  future  philan- 
thropic labors. 

There  was  a  girl  in  Dr.  Baldwin's  family,  not 
older  than  Charles,  who  did  much  of  the  spinning 
for  the  household.     The  spinning-wheel  was  an  in- 


THE  MEDICAL   STUUENT. 


«7 


dispensable  article  of  furniture  at  that  day.  She 
was  not  fond  of  the  business,  and  often  gave  f expres- 
sion to  her  dislike  when  the  work  troubled  her. 
Fretting  was  common  with  her,  accompanied  with  a 
singular  tone  of  voice  and  jerk  of  the  body  that  in- 
dicated the  soured  spirit  within.  One  day,  in  the 
presence  of  the  students  and  the  family,  Charles 
took  his  seat  at  the  spinning-wheel  to  imitate  the 
girl.  He  could  spin  almost  as  well  as  she,  and  he 
made  the  wheel  buzz  for  a  time,  but  soon  got  into 
trouble  with  it  as  the  girl  did ;  and  he  proceeded  to 
mimic  her  snarling  and  fretting,  imitating  the  very 
tones  of  her  voice,  using  the  expressions  and  repro- 
ducing her  movements  of  bod}^  so  perfectly  that  the 
whole  roomful  of  persons  burst  into  a  loud  laugh, 
enjoying  the  scene  hugely.  The  poor  girl,  who  had 
often  been  counselled  upon  the  mattei*,  was  too  mor- 
tified to  laugh  and  too  vexed  to  cry ;  but  she  was 
never  known  to  fret  and  scold  over  the  spinning- 
Vv'heel  again.     It  cured  her. 

Charles  could  then  imitate  with  surprising  exact- 
ness the  voice  of  any  person,  the  tones  and  general 
appearance  of  any  public  speaker  to  whom  he  had 
listened,  the  notes  of  birds,  the  bark  of  dogs,  the 
squeal  of  pigs,  the  bleating  of  sheep,  the  lowing  of 
cattle,  and  much  more  that  we  need  not  mention. 
One  day  Dr.  Baldwin  returned  from  visiting  patients, 
and,  on  alighting  from  his  carriage,  he  heard  a 
soimd  behind  his  barn  like  the  cry  of  a  bird  in  dis- 
tress. He  went  thither  to  learn  the  cause.  Look- 
ing over  a  high  wall,  he  discovered  Charles  imitat- 


88  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

ing  the  carol  of  a  bobolink  so  perfectly  that  the  bird 
was  fluttering  and  screaming  above  his  head  as  if 
he  had  one  of  her  own  family  in  his  grasp.  When 
the  doctor  had  watched  him  a  few  moments,  Charles 
looked  up  and  saw  him,  remarking  : 

"  That  fellow  has  two  notes  that  I  can't  get." 
The  doctor  thought  he  got  them  all,  however. 
At  the  time  in  question,  Lisbon  had  made  some 
advance,  and  a  Sabbath  school  existed ;  there  was, 
also,  a  small  town  library;  both  of  these  were  pat- 
ronized by  Charles  with  real  enthusiasm.  He  loved 
to  study  the  Bible,  although  he  was  not  yet  a  Chris- 
tian. He  attended  the  Sabbath  school,  not  because 
he  felt  compelled  to  attend,  but  from  choice.  And 
he  was  a  close,  thoughtful,  discriminating  student 
of  the  Bible. 

The  little  circulating  library  was  a  treat  to  him. 
He  interspersed  his  medical  studies  with  reading  from 
it.  Among  the  volumes  that  he  especially  enjoyed 
was  Young's  Night  Thoughts.  He  read  it  over  and 
over,  and  committed  much  of  it  to  memory.  His 
interest  in  the  volume  never  abated.  We  have  heard 
him  recite  passages  from  it  within  ten  years,  accom- 
panied by  remarks  upon  its  beauties  and  real  worth. 
Baxter's  C^// /^  the  Unconverted  was  another  vol- 
ume that  he  read  with  much  interest :  a  very  sin- 
gular selection  for  a  youth  of  his  make-up,  but  just 
the  sort  of  a  work  to  mix  up  with  his  mirthfulness, 
that  the  latter  might  not  always  be  in  the  ascendant. 
This  volume  set  him  to  thinking  m.ore  seriously 
about   religious    things.     It   appealed  to  his  better 


THE  MEDICAL   STUDENT.  8o 

judgment,  and  sounded  an  alarm  to  his  heart,  that 
he  could  not  altogether  dismiss.  Still  nobody  knew 
by  his  appearance  that  he  was  at  all  inclined  to  listen 
to  the  "Call." 

At  this  time  the  young  people  had  frequent  par- 
ties in  town,  at  which  it  was  evident  that  girls  and 
boys  belonged  to  the  fallen  race  of  Adam  in  spite  of 
Puritanic  customs  and  close  "udy  of  the  "  Assem- 
bly's Catechism."  Games  and  plays  were  current 
at  those  times,  and  usually  a  fascinating  dance  ter- 
minated the  "  good  time,"  often  quite  late  into  the 
evening.  For  music,  there  was  usually  some  young 
man  of  their  number  who  could  play  the  violin  suf- 
ficiently to  lead  a  country-dance.  That  was  hedged 
in  so  effectually  by  Orthodox  discipline  as  never  to 
run  into  what  was  called  a  "ball."  The  old  people, 
who  sometimes  trembled  at  the  worldliness  of  youth, 
and  wondered  what  would  become  of  them,  made  a 
plain  distinction  between  "  triffing  the  light  fan- 
tastic toe  "  in  a  neighbor's  dining-room  or  kitchen, 
and  doing  the  same  thing  until  two  or  three  o'clock 
in  the  morning  in  a  public  hall.  The  class  of  youth 
of  whom  we  are  speaking  never  ventured  to  cross 
that  Puritanic  line,  and  appear  at  a  "  ball." 

At  these  sociables  manners  were  tauixht.  This 
was  an  important  feature,  and  the  thing  was  done 
somewhat  on  this  wise.  Two  parties  would  go  into 
another  room,  from  which  they  would  return  in  due 
time,  when  one  of  them  would  introduce  the  other 
to  the  whole  company,  one  after  the  other.  This 
was  varied  with  other  forms   of  etiquette,  in  order 


LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT. 


to  cultivate  ease  and  grace  in  manners,  and  make 
all  familiar  with  the  demands  of  the  best  society. 

Charles  enjoyed  such  occasions  hugely ;  and  they 
enjoyed  him.  It  seemed  as  if  he  were  made  for 
such  occasions,  and  that  such  occasions  were  made 
for  him.  At  any  rate  they  were  just  adapted  to 
each  other.  So  long  as  he  mixed  up  medical 
science.  Young's  "  Night  Thoughts,"  and  Baxter's 
"  Call  to  the  Unconverted  "  with  them,  together  with 
frequent  excellent  paternal  and  maternal  counsels 
at  home,  there  was  not  much  danger  that  these 
scenes  of  gayety  would  lead  him  astray.  It  is  certain 
that  they  did  not.  Perhaps  his  interest  in  these  occa- 
sions was  deepened  by  the  fact  that  a  certain  young 
lady,  of  whom  we  shall  hear  more,  was  the  best 
dancer  of  the  company  and  the  most  accomplished 
in  manners ;  so  graceful  and  fairy-Hke  as  to  well- 
nigh  bewitch  his  tender  heart.  It  was  she  who  took 
the  "  Scottish  Chiefs "  from  the  Library  to  read, 
causing  much  gossip  and  criticism  thereby,  because 
her  "  grandfather  Adams  "  was  a  deacon  of  the  Or- 
thodox church.  Sinners'  children  might  read  nov- 
els, but  the  children  of  saints  could  not  do  it  with 
impunity. 

Agriculture,  horticulture,  medical  science,  music, 
botany,  and  some  minor  branches  of  knowledge 
commanded  his  attention  about  this  time,  but  astron- 
omy did  not  appear  to  fascinate  him.  We  do  not 
hear  that  he  studied  the  heavenly  bodies  at  all. 
But  there  was  one  little  terrestrial  body  that  per- 
formed its  daily  orbit  at  "  grandfather  Adams's,"  on 


rHE  MEDICAL   STUDENT.  91 


the  opposite  hill,  a  third  of  a  mile  distant,  that  he 
studied  with  somewhat  more  interest  than  he  did 
medicine  or  horticulture.  He  was  wont  to  go  out  a 
few  rods  distant,  near  sunset,  and  seat  himself  under 
a  splendid  oak  on  the  highest  point  of  land,  where 
he  would  play  on  his  flute  the  most  loving  airs  that 
Cupid  could  suggest.  He  claimed  that  he  went 
thither  to  enjoy  the  magnificent  panorama  that  na- 
ture spread  out  before  him  (and  at  this  time,  after 
the  lapse  of  more  than  fifty  years,  any  person  w^ho 
has  visited  the  spot,  as  the  author  has,  can  readily 
believe  the  young  student)  ;  but  his  fellow-students 
declared  that  his  observations  related  to  the  afore- 
said brilliant  little  orb,  in  full  view  from  his  position, 
rather  than  the  celestial  horoscope,  and  that  his 
dulcet  notes  were  "the  music  of  the  spheres."  How- 
ever, no  amount  of  teasing  ever  destroyed  our 
young  friend's  equilibrium.  He  was  independent 
by  nature,  and  he  meant  to  be  by  practice.  He  had 
great  respect  for  girls  in  general,  and  it  was  no- 
body's business  if  he  singled  out  one  to  respect  in 
particular.  So  the  matter  ran  along,  w^hile  dame 
rumor  circulated  reports,  both  true  and  false,  though 
subsequent  events  proved  that  the  true  were  far  more 
abundant  than  the  false.  At  length  an  event  tran- 
spired that  confirmed  the  suspicions  of  the  aged, 
and  afforded  both  proof  and  merriment  for  the  3"oung 
folks.  Quite  a  number  of  the  girls  devoted  an  after- 
noon to  a  huckleberry  trip.  In  their  enjoyable  wan- 
derings they  encountered  a  hornets'  nest  unexpect- 
edly, the  denizens  of  which  attacked  the  fair  intru- 


p2  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

ders  with  mad  haste.  The  girls  fled  precipitately 
from  the  foe,  pulling  down  their  calashes  over  their 
faces  for  protection.  Unfortunately  Lucy  (the  sat- 
ellite mentioned)  pulled  her  calash  over  her  face 
just  in  season  to  shut  in  a  hornet  that  stung  hei 
w^ithout  mercy,  as  hornets  will.  Some  of  the  girls 
got  into  a  worse  hornets'  nest  years  thereafter ;  but 
Lucy  never  did.  A  few  days  after  the  rather  seri- 
ous event,  she  received  the  following  poetic  effusion 
from  Charles,  designed  to  be,  without  question,  a 
"  very  precious  ointment "  for  healing  purposes. 

TO   L *. 


The  little  bee,  whom  you  thus  sorely  blame, 
While  gazing  on  thy  beauty,  lovely  girl. 

Was  so  intoxicated  with  love's  flame, 

That  giddiness  made  his  little  cranium  whirl. 

And,  quite  unable  to  remove  the  charm. 

Around  thy  head  he  flew,  yet  knew  not  why ; 

He  thought  no  ill,  nor  wished  to  do  thee  harm, 
But  with  a  random  stroke  he  hit  thine  eye. 

Ah,  then,  what  sorrows  filled  his  little  breast  I 
My  muse  was  listening,  and  she  heard  him  say 

He'd  power  to  cure  thee,  and,  at  thy  request. 
Would  come  and  kiss  the  anguisli  all  away. 

C *  *. 

This  Bee-in-the-bonnet-affair,  together  with  a  ride 
or  two  with  the  young  lady,  convinced  people  gen- 
erally that  the  embryo  doctor  was  in  earnest,  and 


THE  MEDICAL  STUDENT. 


93 


that  Miss  Lucy  A.  Tracy  would  one  day  be  Mrs. 
Dr.  Charles  Jewett,  —  all  of  which  occurred  in  ful- 
filment of  numerous  neighborhood  prophecies. 

We  shall  see  that  this  was  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant transactions  of  young  Jewett's  life.  We  smile 
or  laugh  over  so-called  "love  affairs,"  as  if  they 
were  trifling  matters  incident  to  early  life  only, 
when  in  reality  they  bless  or  curse  the  whole  future 
existence  on  earth,  and  perhaps  beyond.  No  graver 
matter  ever  engages  the  attention  of  a  young  man 
than  the  choice  of  a  life-companion,  save  his  per- 
sonal relations  to  Christ.  His  choice  of  a  profes- 
sion may  dwindle  into  insignificance  in  the  compar- 
ison. In  the  instance  before  us,  the  mutual  choice 
proved  the  greatest  blessing.  Dr.  Charles  Jewett, 
the  philanthropist  and  reformer,  never  could  have 
accomplished  his  great  work  without  the  co-oper- 
ation and  supporting  sympathy  of  his  wife.  How 
many  times  his  intimate  friends  have  heard  the  vet- 
eran affirm  as  much,  when  worn  and  weary  with 
the  heat  and  strife  of  battle  !  How  many  times  have 
still  more  intimate  associates  observed  as  much  in 
his  actions,  that  "speak  louder  than  words"!  If 
"  matches  are  made  in  heaven,"  then  heaven  had 
something  to  do  with  the  hornets'  nest  and  what 
followed.  If  the  husband  was  made  for  a  doctor, 
agriculturist,  horticulturist,  teacher,  temperance  lec- 
turer, and  defender  of  the  right,  in  spite  of  con- 
tumely and  reproach,  then  the  wife  must  have  been 
made  to  stand  side  by  side  with  him  in  all  of  these 
relations ;  for  she  did  it  with  the  wisdom,  fidelity. 


94  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

and  heroism  of  the  noblest  women  who  adorn  the 
page  of  history. 

In  his  admiration  for  Shakspeare,  in  later  3^ears, 
he  maintained  that  "Romeo  and  Juliet"  is  the  most 
perfect  description  of  love-making  that  was  ever 
penned.  No  doubt  that  Shakspeare  hit  his  case 
exactly. 

At  Dr.  Baldwin's,  Charles  furnished  additional 
evidence  that  he  was  a  born  artist.  He  amused 
himself  and  the  family  by  drawing  profiles  of  the 
members  and  of  the  neighbors.  These  profiles 
were  not  caricatures,  but  rare  specimens  of  artistic 
skill.  No  professional  could  produce  better  like- 
nesses. Some  said,  "they  look  as  if  they  could 
speak."  Many  persons  insisted  upon  keeping  the 
profiles  of  themselves  and  friends,  because  they 
were  so  natural.  At  the  Baldwin  homestead  w^e 
saw  a  number  of  them,  drawn  fifty-four  years  ago, 
somewhat  faded  it  is  true,  but  the  outlines  still  trace- 
able. Aunt  Polly's  profile  —  an  old  woman  in  the 
neighborhood  at  that  time  —  all  said  was  perfect. 
And  so  they  have  been  handed  down,  and  are  sure 
proof  of  the  taste  for  the  fine  arts  that  Charles  pos- 
sessed. He  did  not  hesitate  to  undertake  the  pro- 
file of  any  living  mortal,  except  the  particular  young 
lady  on  the  opposite  hill.  She  was  too  fair  a  sub- 
ject in  his  eye,  no  doubt,  for  his  inexperienced  pen- 
cil to  try. 

In  the  winter  following,  Charles  attended  medical 
lectures  at  Pittsfield,  Mass.  Here  his  medical  pro- 
clivities found  ample  scope.     No  part  of  his  literary 


THE  MEDICAL  STUDENT.  C)5 

course  was  more  enjoyable  to  him  than  this.  He 
scarcely  left  his  boarding-place  for  an  hour,  day  or 
evening,  for  pleasure.  Time  for  needful  exercise 
he  took,  of  course,  but  nothing  beyond.  An  occa- 
sional public  lecture  drew  him  out  for  an  evening, 
but  nothing  in  the  way  of  pleasure  commanded  an 
hour  of  his  time.  His  undivided  attention  was  given 
to  his  medical  studies. 

In  the  lecture-room  he  was  sharp  and  inquisitive. 
He  did  not  hesitate  to  disagree  with  the  doctors  \\ 
the  weight  of  evidence  seemed  to  be  against  them. 
Each  day  an  invitation  was  given  to  the  class,  that 
as  many  as  pleased  would  take  the  front  seat  to  be 
questioned.  This  was  after  the  regular  lecture. 
Charles  never  failed  to  be  on  that  seat ;  and  he  en- 
joyed that  part  of  the  exercises  best  of  all.  He 
could  ask  as  many  questions  as  any  professor,  and 
he  could  answer  questions  as  easily  as  he  could  ask 
them.  He  was  the  life  of  the  class ;  and  to-day 
there  are  physicians  living  who  recall  and  rehearse 
the  occasions  when  his  wisdom  and  wit  were  a  rare 
entertainment  for  the  class.  Nor  was  he  at  all 
opposed  to  an  occasional  freak  of  sport  among  the 
young  men  who  were  qualifying  themselves  for  the 
soberest  practice. 

In  the  class  was  a  "  swell,"  as  the  boys  called  him, 
—  a  young  fop,  who  seemed  to  think  that  what  he 
did  not  know  was  not  worth  knowinn^.  He  was 
very  unpopular,  and  the  students  loved  to  annoy 
him.  One  day  he  came  to  the  lecture  pompous  as 
ever,  and  took   his  seat  in  front  with  his  hat  on  his 


96  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

head.  It  was  not  quite  lecture-time,  and  the  pro- 
fessor had  not  arrived.  A  student  behind  him 
knocked  his  hat  off,  causing  some  satisfaction  and 
not  a  litde  merriment.  Charles  improved  the  mo- 
ment to  provide  another  covering  for  the  young 
man's  head.  He  seized  a  feed-basket  that  hap- 
pened to  be  under  one  of  the  seats  (such  as  oxen 
and  horses  eat  from),  and  quicker  than  we  can 
tell  it,  thrust  it  on  the  fellow's  head,  crowding  it 
down  over  his  face  until  his  quite  prominent  nasal 
organ  prevented  its  removal  by  himself  alone.  The 
professor  appeared  upon  the  scene  when  the  poor 
fellow  was  doing  his  best  to  remove  the  unusual 
head-gear,  and  seemed  to  enjoy  the  comical  side-show 
as  much  as  his  pupils,  although  he  did  not  say  so. 
This  single  exhibition  of  frolic  satisfied  Charles  for 
the  whole  time  he  spent  in  Pittsfield.  He  had  many 
and  grave  duties  to  perform,  and  to  their  discharge 
he  bent  all  his  powers.  We  have  sought  in  vain  for 
other  spurts  of  his  roguish  nature  while  he  attended 
upon  the  medical  lectures  at  Pittsfield.  He  spent 
two  seasons  there ;  and,  as  the  second  season  was 
so  much  like  the  first,  we  shall  not  have  occasion  to 
recur  to  it,  and  so  shall  dismiss  his  residence  at 
Pittsfield  with  one  more  fact. 

During  the  first  winter  of  Charles's  student-life 
there,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Hewett  visited  the  place  to  lec- 
ture on  temperance.  His  fame  preceded  him,  and 
Charles  heard  the  two  lectures  that  he  delivered. 
With  his  previous  hostility  to  the  sale  and  use  of 
intoxicating  liquors,  he  was  roused  to  fiery  enthu- 


THE  MEDICAL  STUDENT. 


91 


siasm  by  Dr.  Hewett's  eloquent  appeals.  From  that 
moment  Charles  Jewett  was  a  determined  and  un- 
compromising temperance  reformer.  He  resolved 
to  denounce  and  fight  the  evil  henceforth  and  for- 
ever. And  he  kept  his  word.  Forty  years  after- 
wards, Dr.  Jewett  delivered  a  temperance  lecture 
in  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  the  home  of  Dr.  Hewett,  who 
was  old,  infirm,  and  feeble;  and  he  had  the  pleas- 
ure of  welcoming  him  to  the  platform,  where  he 
opened  the  meeting  with  prayer. 

We  are  reminded  that  the  causes  of  Dr.  Jewett's 
espousal  and  advocacy  of  the  temperance  cause  are 
akin  to  those  which  led  William  Lloyd  Garrison  to 
the  espousal  and  advocacy  of  the  anti-slavery  enter- 
prise. The  two  young  men  came  upon  the  stage 
about  the  same  time,  though  Garrison  was  three  or 
four  years  the  senior ;  and  the  earthly  career  of  both 
closed  within  a  few  weeks  of  each  other.  The  one 
sympathized  deeply  in  the  reform  work  of  the  other ; 
each  esteemed  the  other  for  his  hearty  and  heroic 
defence  of  right.  On  his  dying-bed.  Dr.  Jewett 
inquired  tenderly  of  the  writer  after  Mr.  Garrison's 
health,  and  expressed  his  admiration  of  the  unselfish 
and  unfaltering  spirit  with  which  he  had  contended 
for  universal  freedom.  Immediately  afterwards,  in 
response  to  a  call  for  a  Jewett  testimonial  fund, 
Garrison  wrote  as  follows  : 

"  I  would  be  willing  to  have  my  name  appended  to  a 
circular  to  the  public  upon  the  subject ;  and  I  pledge  ten 
dollars  toward  the  fund  aforesaid,  hoping  that  the  appeal 

7 


gS  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

will  be  widely  responded  to,  and  to  the  full  extent  at  least 
of  the  necessities  of  the  case. 

"The  temperance  movement,  in  a  radical  sense,  has 
never  had  raised  up  in  its  support  a  more  devoted,  untir- 
ing, disinterested  advocate  than  Dr.  Jewett ;  and  now  that 
his  noble  life-work  is  near  its  close,  and  his  translation  to 
another  sphere  of  existence  a  matter  of  hourly  expectancy, 
it  is  most  fitting  that  his  family  should  be  kindly  and 
promptly  assisted  by  the  friends  of  temperance  in  the 
manner  proposed." 

With  previous  well-defined  opinions,  Garrison 
beheld  the  slave-pens  of  Baltimore,  and  his  heart 
was  fired  with  an  unconquerable  desire  to  rid  the 
land  of  the  crime.  Jewett  beheld  the  liquor-shop 
near  his  father's  house  where  the  slaves  of  appetite 
suffered  worse  than  Egyptian  bondage ;  and  this, 
with  the  ringing  philippic  of  Hewett,  aroused  his 
indomitable  spirit  to  do  and  dare  against  the  traffic 
the  remainder  of  his  life. 

Charles  studied  another  season  with  Dr.  Baldwin. 
Some  time  in  that  period  an  accident  occurred  near 
his  father's  house,  illustrative  of  the  youth's  zeal  in 
the  study  of  medicine.  He  happened  to  be  at  home 
when  the  accident  occurred.  A  boy  was  kicked  by 
a  horse  so  seriously  that  his  skull  was  broken,  and 
some  of  his  brains  were  scattered  upon  the  ground. 
Charles  was  on  hand  to  assist  almost  as  soon  as  any 
one,  and  when  the  doctors  had  cared  for  the  sufTerer 
as  Vv^ell  as  they  could,  he  gathered  up  the  scattered 
brains  and  carried  them  home  for  critical  examina- 
tion and  experiment.     The  doctors  saved  the  boy, 


THE  MEDICAL  STUDENT. 


99 


and  Charles  told  him  when  he  recovered,  "  If  any- 
body sa3/S  that  you  have  no  brains,  tell  them  that  I 
know  better,  for  I  have  had  some  of  them." 

The  writer  was  introduced  to  the  party  a  few 
months  ago,  and  concluded  that  he  did  not  miss  the 
few  brains  that  Charles  took  for  experiment. 

Durincr  the  second  season  at  Dr.  Baldwin's,  also, 
Charles's  inventive  and  mechanical  skill  found  inter- 
esting play.  He  constructed  a  miniature  bureau, 
the  apartments  of  w^hich  were  ample  to  hold  jewelry 
and  knickknacks  ;  and  he  presented  it  to  the  young 
lady  who  had  the  contest  with  a  hornet.  It  is  still 
extant  —  a  piece  of  cabinet-work  that  honors  his 
skill.  He  made,  also,  a  gem  of  a  pocket-knife. 
The  handle  was  WTOught  out  of  an  old  silver  spoon, 
the  blade  being  the  best  of  steel,  nicely  finished  and 
polished.  This  is  still  as  good  as  new,  although  its 
possessor,  who  would  not  exchange  it  for  any  knife 
in  the  United  States,  dates  her  ownership  of  it  back 
to  the  next  year  after  the  hornet  difficulty. 

We  omitted  to  say,  that,  during  the  second  wdnter 
of  Charles's  stay  at  Pittsfield,  he  made  a  set  of 
dental  instruments  for  his  own  use.  At  that  time, 
regular  physicians  did  all  the  teeth-pulling  and 
teeth-repairing  that  was  required  by  the  public. 
Therefore,  dental  instruments  were  indispensable. 
Subsequently,  he  provided  himself  with  surgical 
instruments  by  the  use  of  cash  instead  of  brains. 
The  dental  instruments  w^ere  manufactured  in  the 
shop  of  a  villager,  who  kindly  granted  him  the  use 
of  his    tools.      When    Charles    had    completed    his 


TOO  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

work,  the  proprietor  of  the  shop,  who  had  watched 
him  with  the  deepest  interest,  remarked,  "  //  is  a 
-pity  to  sfoil  a  good  mechanic  to  make  a  -poor  doctor,^' 

In  the  last  year  of  his  medical  studies,  Charles 
became  a  Christian,  an  earnest,  faithful  follower 
of  Christ.  Various  causes  operated  to  bring  about 
this  event,  not  the  least  of  which  was  his  pastor's 
fidelity.  From  the  time  that  he  read  Baxter's  "  Call 
to  the  Unconverted,"  his  thoughts  were  more  par- 
ticularly turned  to  his  personal  obligations  to  love 
and  serve  God,  while  Mr.  Nelson's  faithfulness  un- 
wittingly supplemented  the  deep  impressions  made 
by  that  book.  He  stepped  forth  boldly  upon  the 
Lord's  side,  and  from  that  time  never  faltered  in 
Christian  work.  He  united  with  the  Congrega- 
tional Church  in  Lisbon,  on  the  first  Sabbath  of 
May,  1828. 

Nothing  remains  to  be  added  to  this  chapter, 
except  that  Charles  studied  medicine  a  short  time 
with  Dr.  Eaton,  of  Norwich,  before  he  took  his 
medical  degree.  Dr.  Eaton  was  an  eminent  phy- 
sician, which  fact,  together  with  another,  that  he 
could  board  with  his  sister  in  the  city,  caused  him 
to  take  this  step. 


THE  SIA,LESSFUL  PHYSICIAN,  loi 


VII. 

THE  SUCCESSFUL  PHYSICIAN. 

DR.  CHARLES  JEWETT  commenced  the 
practice  of  medicine  in  East  Greenwich,  R.  I., 
in  1829.  He  was  only  twenty-two  years  of  age, 
—  pretty  young  for  a  physician,  but  old  in  tact  and 
ability  for  one  of  his  years.  His  personal  appear- 
ance, too,  was  very  much  in  his  favor.  With  a 
splendid  physique,  tall,  well-proportioned,  muscular, 
graceful,  with  a  dignified  and  manly  bearing,  the 
intellectual  and  refined  element  radiating  from  his 
lustrous  eye  and  beaming  face  —  few  young  men 
ever  possessed  more  personal  attractions  at  the 
threshold  of  public  life.  He  found  this  advantage 
in  going  to  his  new  field  of  labor,  that  the  people 
had  an  exalted  opinion  of  Connecticut  teachers,  doc- 
tors, and  ministers.  To  receive  a  doctor  from  that 
state,  who  was  so  genial,  sensible,  and  able,  was  a 
source  of  great  pleasure  to  them.  There  was  but 
one  physician  within  five  miles,  and  he  was  an  old 
gentleman  who  was  approaching  the  end  of  his 
career.  His  reception  was  all  that  he  could  desire ; 
and  he  stepped  directly  into  a  good  practice. 

His  sharp  eye  read  the  people  very  soon,  and  he 
found  many  of  then  uneducated  and  superstitious, 
and   well    settled  in   the  notion  that  "  ignorance  is 


I02  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT, 

bliss."  A  large  number  were  mill  operatives.  Most 
of  the  good  people  preferred  ministers  who  worked 
all  the  week  at  manual  labor,  and  preached  on  Sun- 
day as  they  were  moved  by  what  they  called  the 
"  sperit."  Whether  they  wanted  the  doctor  to  prac- 
tise by  the  "  sperit,"  is  not  recorded.  The  leading 
denomination  of  that  region  was  the  "  Six-Principle 
Baptists,"  whose  creed  was  derived  from  the  sixth 
chapter  of  Hebrews,  —  a  well-meaning  class  of  peo- 
ple, but  ignorant  and  superstitious.  They  had  a  poor 
opinion  of  other  denominations,  with  little  disposition 
to  fraternize  with  them.  Dr.  Jewett  found  no  difficul- 
ty, however,  in  mixing  with  them.  He  attended  their 
meetings.  He  participated  in  religious  services  with 
them,  doing  his  share  of  the  labor  efficiently,  thereby 
proving  to  them  that  he  was  a  true  Christian  man. 
Occasionally  he  rode  five  miles  on  the  Sabbath  to 
the  nearest  Congregational  church. 

He  was  fortunate  in  his  boarding-place,  the  family 
of  Mr.  John  Pitcher.  They  were  kind,  sensible  peo- 
ple, though  not  cultivated.  Mr.  Pitcher  was  ready 
to  co-operate  in  every  good  work  to  the  extent  of  his 
ability.  "Mother  Pitcher,"  as  the  doctor  always 
called  her,  was  the  very  soul  of  motherly  care,  in- 
terested deeply  in  every  good  thing  proposed.  Dr. 
Jewett  must  have  indulged  his  artistic  propensity 
soon  after  becoming  a  member  of  the  family ;  for  a 
profile  of  the  good  lady  lies  before  us,  which  he 
executed  very  early  in  his  Rhode  Island  life.  Good 
judges  called  it  perfect.  Mrs.  Pitcher  was  delighted 
with  the  work  of  art. 


777^   SUCCESSFUL  PHYSICIAN.  103 

There  were  several  boys  in  the  family,  whom  the 
doctor  soon  drew  to  himself  by  his  methods  of  enter- 
tainment. He  interested  himself  in  their  pastime  as 
well  as  in  their  work.  Seeing  them  tm-ning  a  grind- 
stone for  their  father,  he  suggested  to  the  boys  that 
the  small  stream  of  water  near  by  might  be  utilized 
to  do  that  w^ork.  The  boys  could  not  understand 
how  such  a  wonderful  feat  could  be  accomplished, 
but  they  were  anxious  to  see  it  done.  So,  \^^th  such 
assistance  as  they  could  render,  he  employed  some 
of  his  spare  time  in  constructing  a  water-wheel,  and 
setting  it  up  in  the  stream.  It  was  not  long  before 
the  boys  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  the  grindstone 
turned  by  water,  more  rapidly,  too,  than  their  best 
exertions  could  secure  by  hand.  Subsequently  this 
water-power  w^as  utilized  for  other  purposes. 

Dr.  Jew^ett  found  opportunity  also  to  gratify  his 
grafting  ability.  He  demonstrated  to  Mr.  Pitcher's 
satisfaction  that  his  fruit-trees  might  be  improved 
immensely  by  grafting  choice  fruit  into  them.  He 
did  the  work,  too,  with  as  much  enjoyment  as  he 
would  have  done  if  the  trees  had  been  his  own. 

Crops  on  the  farm,  too,  commanded  his  attention. 
The  rotation  of  crops,  and  the  adaptation  of  certain 
soils  to  certain  crops,  w^ere  familiar  subjects  to  him ; 
and  Mr.  Pitcher  was  benefited  by  his  intelligent 
suggestions.  Choice  seed-corn  and  potatoes,  also, 
w^ere  introduced  by  his  advice.  And  the  benefits  of 
these  improvements  spread,  in  time,  through  the 
tow^n.  Other  fruit-growers  and  farmers  adopted 
them,  so   that  the   improvement  became  somewhat 


I04  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

general.  That  a  physician  should  know  more  about 
agriculture  and  horticulture,  as  well  as  machinery, 
than  the  wisest  among  themselves,  appeared  to  set 
them  to  thinking  and  acting. 

There  was  little  regard  for  the  Sabbath.  At  that 
time  Rhode  Island  was  rather  famous  for  desecrat- 
ing the  Lord's  day.  Many  people  labored  on  Sun- 
days as  on  other  days  of  the  week.  Many  others 
used  it  for  a  holiday.  It  was  a  time  for  visiting, 
hunting,  fishing,  and  ball-playing.  Only  a  small 
part  of  the  population  attended  meeting.  The 
moral  status  of  such  a  community  is  well  understood. 
A  profane,  vulgar,  rowdyish,  intemperate  popula- 
tion, as  a  whole,  was  the  inevitable  result.  Drunk- 
enness abounded.  What  Dr.  Jewett  had  witnessed 
hitherto  scarcely  prepared  him  at  all  to  behold  such 
scenes  as  were  enacted  in  his  adopted  state.  Every- 
body used  intoxicating  liquors.  It  seemed  to  him 
that  a  majority  of  men  used  them  excessively.  There 
was  not  a  temperance  man  in  the  whole  town.  The 
doctor  found  himself  alone  in  this  regard,  and  he 
felt  lonely.  He  was  not  a  teetotaler  at  that  time. 
The  pledge  he  had  taken  did  not  prohibit  fermented 
and  malt  liquors,  though  he  did  not  allow  himself  to 
drink  any  intoxicants  but  v/ine  and  cider,  and  these 
not  habitually.  He  set  himself  to  work  to  convert 
the  family  with  which  he  boarded,  and  he  was  suc- 
cessful. Then  he  extended  his  temperance  labors 
carefully,  coveting  the  accession  of  only  one  person 
at  a  time,  in  the  circumstances.     Forty  years  there- 


THE    SUCCESSFUL   PHYSICIAN.  105 

after,  he  wrote  as  follows  of  his  policy  in  that  day 
of  small  things : 


"  Often,  while  waiting  to  watch  the  operation  of  medi- 
cines on  the  sick,  there  would  be  opportunities  to  talk 
about  something,  and  somehow  it  would  frequently  hap- 
pen that  the  conversation  would  turn  on  the  fearful  preva- 
lence of  intemperance  and  on  the  serious  injury  therefrom 
to  all  the  best  interests  of  the  community.  Careful  not  to 
give  needless  offence,  I  sought  thus  to  influence  those  with 
whom  I  daily  came  in  contact.  With  a  little  medicine  I 
mixed  a  little  temperance;  and  despite  all  my  skill  and 
caution  in  compounding  the  latter,  I  found  it  more  difficult 
to  render  it  agreeable  to  certain  parties  than  even  my  pills 
and  powders." 

He  witnessed  scenes  of  suffering  and  woe  in  his 
practice  that  touched  his  heart.  Here  is  one  that 
intensified  his  hostility  to  strong  drink.  He  was 
called  to  see  a  girl  fourteen  years  of  age,  who  was 
wasting  with  consumption.  Her  parents  were  in- 
temperate and  very  poor.  Dr.  Jewett  found  the  sick 
daughter  a  Christian  girl,  and  her  "  sweet  angelic 
temper  of  mind"  soon  endeared  her  to  him.  One 
morning  he  called  to  see  her  earlier  than  usual, 
and  found  her  sitting  up  in  a  chair  with  a  blanket 
wrapped  about  her,  and  trembling  from  head  to 
feet. 

"  Martha,  what  makes  you  tremble  so?  "  the  doc- 
tor asked. 

"  I  am  very  cold,"  she  answered. 

"But  why  are  you  not  in  bed?" 


Io6  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

"I  have  had  one  of  my  distressed  turns,  and 
could  not  lie  in  bed."  ■ 

"  How  long  have  you  been  sitting  here,  Martha?  " 

"Almost  through  the  night." 

Seeing  there  was  no  fire  in  the  apartment,  the 
doctor  continued,  "  Have  you  been  sitting  here 
alone,  and  without  fire?" 

"Yes,  sir;  there  is  no  wood  in  the  house." 

"Where  is  your  father?" 

"He  is  in  bed." 

"And  where  is  your  mother?" 

"She  is  in  bed,  too." 

"  Both  drunk,"  thought  the  doctor ;  and  his  soul 
was  moved  to  the  lowest  depths.  "While  I  live," 
he  exclaimed,  "may  a  merciful  God  spare  me  from 
another  such  trial  of  my  feelings." 

Fifteen  years  afterwards.  Dr.  Jewett  referred  to 
the  sad  incident  in  a  public  lecture,  and  said  :  "  I 
have  lived  more  than  forty  years,  and  I  have  never 
witnessed  the  operation  of  any  other  power  than 
that  of  alcoholic  drinks,  capable  of  conquering  a 
mother's  love.  It  may  not  be  said  of  drunken 
mothers,  in  the  sense  intended  in  an  old  couplet, 
that, 

'  A  mother  's  a  mother  all  the  days  of  her  life.'  " 

At  another  time  he  was  called  to  visit  an  intem- 
perate man  who  was  injured  in  a  drunken  fight. 
His  antagonist  bit  out  a  piece  of  his  lip,  and  the 
poor  fellow  was  in  a  sad  plight.  Dr.  Jewett  saw 
that,  owing  to  the  mangled  condition  of  the  lip,  he 


THE  SUCCESSFUL   PHYSICIAN.  107 

must  cut  out  a  piece  in  the  shape  of  a  V,  bring 
together  and  sew  the  parts,  and  leave  it  for  nature 
to  y\o  the  rest  in  spite  of  rum.  Fortunately  the 
fellow  had  more  lip  than  he  actually  needed,  so 
that  the  operation  was  easily  performed.  The  doc- 
tor charged  him  to  keep  perfectly  quiet,  not  to  leave 
his  house  on  any  account,  nor  to  drink  a  drop  of 
lic^uor.  Early  in  the  morning  he  called  to  see  him, 
but  he  was  gone ;  he  was  at  the  grog-shop.  The 
doctor  sought  him^  out,  when  the  wretch  said,  by 
way  of  apology,  that  he  "thought  his  lip  would  be 
benefited  by  wetting  it  with  rum."  Dr.  Jewett  did 
not  hate  the  liquor  traffic  any  less  after  this  exhibi- 
tion of  lost  manhood. 

With  all  his  prudence  the  doctor  occasionally 
awakened  opposition  that  was  difficult  to  allay. 
But  opposition  did  not  scare  him.  Good  Mrs. 
Pitcher  would  say :  "  Now,  doctor,  lookout;  don't 
be  hasty ;  you  will  lose  3'our  practice  if  you  do ; 
better  not  say  quite  so  much." 

But  the  doctor  condemned  himself  sometimes  for 
not  saying  more.  He  believed  it  to  be  the  duty  of 
every  Christian  man  to  wage  an  uncompromising 
warfare  with  every  curse  of  society,  and  he  had  not 
inaugurated  much  of  a  war  after  all.  But  the  oppo- 
sition was  increasing.  There  was  more  and  louder 
hostile  talk  at  the  end  of  six  months  than  there  was 
in  the  beginning.  He  continued  to  criticise  the 
drunkenness  of  the  times  and  to  denounce  the  liquor 
traffic.  He  grevv^  bold  and  uncompromising  as  the 
opposition  increased.     The  fear  of  losing  practice 


Io8  I^FE   OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT. 

by  his  fidelity  to  principle  never  influenced  him  at 
all.  He  would  have  despised  himself  if  such  a  ser- 
vile feai  had  controlled  his  actions.  There  was  a 
great  evil  in  the  community,  and  he  struck  at  it. 
Had  he  not  been  a  very  popular  physician,  whose 
genial  face  was  a  better  passport  in  that  region  than 
his  medical  degree,  the  opposition  would  have  been 
hotter  and  more  vituperous.  But  he  had  won  a 
good  reputation  in  his  profession,  and  was  generally 
regarded  as  an  unusually  promising  young  doctor. 
Still,  by  the  end  of  his  first  year's  practice,  the  oppo- 
sition aroused  was  considerable.  He  was  prepared 
to  meet  it,  however,  in  his  Christian  manhood. 
He  buckled  on  his  armor  and  enlisted  for  the  war. 

The  reader  may  judge  somewhat  of  the  severe 
trials  to  which  temperance  advocates  were  subjected 
at  that  time,  from  the  following  letter  of  Dr.  Justin 
Edwards  to  Rev.  John  Marsh,  who  was  appointed 
district  secretary  of  the  American  Temperance  So- 
ciety at  Boston,  in  1833  : 

"  If  you  think  it  to  be  the  will  of  God  that  you 
should  accept  the  appointment,  I  should  rejoice  lo 
have  you  do  so,  but  not  without;  because,  without 
such  a  conviction,  it  would  not  be  comfortable  to 
endure  the  privations  and  labor  and  trials  to  which 
it  will  call  you.  These,  as  you  know,  must  be 
great ;  and  nothing  else  Vvdll  sustain  you  and  carry 
you  forward  perseveringly,  but  the  conviction  that 
you  are  probably  accomplishing  more  for  the  final 
good  of  men  than  you  possibly  can  in  any  other 
way." 


THE  SUCCESSFUL  PHYSICIAN.  lop 

^ — — ■ . — — 

About  this  time,  May  5,  1830,  he  consummated 
the  hornet  affair,  and  Miss  Lucy  Adams  Tracy  be- 
came his  wife.  It  was  altogether  a  new  scene  to 
which  Dr.  Jewett  introduced  his  bride.  Such 
Sabbath  desecration,  such  ignorance  and  supersti- 
tion, such  immorahty  and  intemperance,  she  never 
witnessed  before.  On  the  first  Sabbath  after  their 
marriage  they  rode  four  or  five  miles  to  a  Congre- 
gational church.  On  the  way  men  were  working 
in  their  gardens  and  fields,  shearing  sheep,  playing 
ball,  pitching  quoits,  hunting,  fishing,  and  fooling, 
as  if  Sunday  had  no  claim  upon  their  regard.  Mrs. 
Jewett  was  shocked  at  such  an  exhibition  of  heathen- 
ism in  Puritan  New  England.  The  doctor  assured 
her  that  she  was  not  yet  a  witness  to  the  worst  side 
of  the  reality  — that  she  would  find  Plymouth  Rock 
morality  only  here  and  there  on  the  "  Providence 
plantation." 

The  doctor's  temperance  talks  had  done  good 
execution.  He  set  the  temperance  ball  rolling,  not 
only  in  Greenwich,  but  also  in  the  neighboring 
towns.  The  best  people  were  aroused,  and  so  were 
the  worst.  The  former  reasoned,  expostulated,  and 
prayed.     The  latter  swore,  raved,  and  threatened. 

Just  before  the  doctor's  marriage,  Elder  Meech, 
who  preached  in  the  town  of  Exeter,  five  miles  dis- 
tant, delivered  a  temperance  sermon  of  the  most 
radical  character.  The  elder  was  a  man  of  decided 
native  ability,  and  fearless  as  a  lion.  He  never  did 
things  by  halves.  With  him  it  was  the  whole  or 
nothing.     He  looked  over  this  evil  in  his  discrimi- 


no  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT, 


nating  wa^  ,  and  concluded  that  drunkards  were 
made  out  of  moderate  drinkers,  and  therefore  that 
moderate  drinking  was  a  sin.  He  went  into  his 
pulpit  and  denounced  the  sale  and  use  of  rum  with 
out  stint,  and  raked  down  moderate  drinkers  until 
they  felt  that  something  more  than  a  flesh-brush  was 
applied  to  their  backs.  They  were  mad.  They 
insulted  and  threatened  the  elder.  His  popularity 
did  not  save  him  from  their  wrath,  and  the  excite- 
ment ran  into  bitterness  and  acrimonious  strife. 

Dr.  Jewett  heard  of  the  temperance  hostilities  in 
Exeter,  and  he  sent  word  to  Elder  Meech  that  he 
would  deliver  a  temperance  lecture  in  Exeter  on  any 
day  he  might  select.  The  elder  was  delighted  with 
the  kind  and  friendly  offer.  Such  reinforcement 
was  unexpected  to  him,  and  all  the  more  welcome 
on  that  account.  He  appointed  the  lecture  on 
the  second  day  of  June.  The  doctor's  friends 
w^ere  not  pleased  with  his  volunteer  service.  Many 
of  them  regarded  it  as  a  Quixotic  and  unnecessary 
attack  upon  an  old  custom,  and  that  the  address 
would  cost  him  his  practice ;  and  they  told  him  so. 
Some  said  that  the  effbrt  would  expose  him  to  the 
violence  of  intemperate  men,  who  would  be  incensed 
lenough  to  shoot  him.  But  the  doctor's  head  was 
I'.evel  and  his  heart  brave.  He  had  not  yet  given  a 
public  temperance  discourse,  and  here  was  a  capi- 
tal opportunity  that  he  would  not  lose  for  the  value 
of  his  medical  practice.  He  carefully  prepared  a 
lecture  for  the  occasion,  writing  it  out  in  full,  from 
beginning  to  end,  and  was  on  hand  in  Exeter,  June 


THE  SUCCESSFUL   PHYSICIAN.  m 

2d,  enforced  b}  the  presence  of  his  young  wife. 
He  did  not  know  exactly  what  sort  of  a  "mare's  nest" 
he  might  find ;  but  his  wife  was  his  partner  now  in 
joy  and  sorrow  both,  and  she  was  resolved  to  share 
that  trip  with  him. 

A  crowd  of  people  assembled,  filling  the  lecture- 
room  to  its  utmost  capacity,  while  more  congregated 
outside  than  inside,  backing  up  wagons  against  the 
windows,  that  they  might  both  see  and  hear.  The 
chief  liquor-dealer  of  the  town  was  there,  —  a  tall, 
dare-devil  sort  of  a  fellow,  —  and  he  took  his  stand 
in  the  doorway  directly  in  front  of  the  platform,  as 
if  he  expected  to  terrify  the  3'oung  doctor. 

Dr.  Jewett  delivered  his  lecture  without  the  least 
interruption,  expressing  his  own  views  frankly  about 
the  curse  of  intemperance,  dilating  upon  the  abuse 
of  liquors  by  physicians  in  medical  practice,  and 
setting  forth  the  duties  of  citizens  in  the  plainest  lan- 
guage. The  audacious  rumseller  who  planted  him- 
self in  the  doorway  to  scare  the  speaker,  was  him- 
self scared.  The  follov/ing  paragraph  rasped  his 
hardened  soul,  and  turned  all  eyes  toward  him  curi- 
riously,  much  to  his  discomfiture  : 

'*  To  those  who  are  engaged  in  the  business  of  manu- 
facturing or  distributing  among  your  fellow-citizens  intox- 
icating liquors,  I  would  address  a  few  words.  Among  a 
Christian  people  it  is,  I  believe,  a  settled  principle,  that 
men  ought  never  to  engage  in  any  business  upon  which 
they  cannot  consistently  ask  the  blessing  of  God.  I  now 
ask  you  if,  when  you  take  the  jug  or  the  bottle  from  the 
hand  of  the  poor  little   ragged  son    or   daughter  of  the 


112  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

drunkard,  and  go  behind  your  counter  and  turn  yout 
faucet  to  draw  for  a  drunken  father  his  daily  quart  of 
liquor,  you  can,  while  the  measure  is  filling  up,  improve 
the  passing  moment  to  lift  your  heart  to  God,  and  crave 
his  blessing  on  such  a  calling?  You  dare  not  do  it.  You 
would  fear  the  vengeance  of  insulted  Heaven  against  such 
high-handed  wickedness  added  to  such  daring  impiety. 
But  you  may  say,  perhaps,  that  you  do  not  sell  to  the 
drunkard.  What  then  ?  You  sold  to  him  while  he  was 
a  sober  man.  He  was,  perhaps,  educated  in  the  school 
of  drunkenness  ?i\.  your  counte7'^  but  when  he  had  lost  his 
propert}',  and  could  no  longer  meet  his  payments,  all  at 
once  your  conscience  became  exceedingly  tender,  and 
when  the  poor,  besotted  victim  of  depraved  appetite  begs 
you  to  furnish  him  but  one  glass  to  satisfy  his  insatiate 
longings,  you  can  then  vociferate,  in  loud  and  determined 
tone,  '  Tou  shall  not  have  it  / '  and  the  poor  wretch,  as 
he  turns  disappointed  and  unsatisfied  away,  mutters  his 
curses  against  you,  as  one  of  the  prime  authors  of  his 
destruction." 

Elder  Meech  fairly  effervesced  with  gratitude  to 
the  doctor  for  this  brave  co-operation.  Seizing  his 
hand,  he  exclaimed : 

"  This  is  friendship  indeed,  to  throw  yourself  into 
the  breach  with  me  at  such  a  time  as  this  ! " 

Well,  the  doctor  survived  that  Thermopylae.  He 
was  neither  shot  nor  stabbed.  He  came  off  with 
flying  colors.  Instead  of  tar  and  feathers,  he  re- 
ceived a  very  urgent  request  for  a  copy  of  his 
address  for  publication,  proving  unmistakably  that 
it  was  a  convincing  document.  So  the  doctor's  first 
temperance  address  went  into  print  forty-nine  years 


THE  SUCCESSFUL  PHYSICIAN,  113 

ago,  and  was  widely  circulated  and  read.  Friends 
read  it,  to  see  what  a  powerful  reformer  he  was ; 
enemies  read  it,  for  proof  of  his  folly  and  fanaticism. 
From  this  time  Dr.  Jewett's  labors  were  sought  m 
the  temperance  lecture-field.  Friends  in  the  neigh- 
boring towns  waited  upon  him  often,  and  set  before 
him  their  most  urgent  necessities.  To  many  of 
these  invitations  he  responded  —  to  so  many,  as  to 
interfere  with  his  professional  duties.  Often  he 
resolved  to  deny  all  applicants,  and  attend  more 
closely  to  his  practice  ;  but  it  did  not  require  a  very 
earnest  or  eloquent  appeal  to  cause  him  to  forget 
his  resolve,  so  great  was  his  interest  in  the  temperance 
reform.  Night  after  night  he  would  ride  five,  and 
even  ten  miles,  to  lecture  in  hall  or  schoolhouse, 
returning  late  at  night,  weary  and  worn,  yet  feeling 
well  paid  if  he  got  ten,  twenty,  or  thirty  names  upon 
the  pledge.  At  one  time  the  temperance  battle 
waxed  so  warm  that  his  friends  advised  him  to  cease 
lecturing,  saying,  "You  run  great  risk  in  being  out 
nights.  Some  of  the  desperate  fellows  will  waylay 
you,  and  they  just  as  lief  shoot  you  as  not."  But 
the  doctor  concluded  that  he  ran  no  more  risk 
in  going  to  lecture  in  the  evening  than  he  did  in 
going  to  see  a  patient  at  a  distance.  So  he  perse- 
vered in  his  work,  guarding  against  surprises  by 
putting  a  loaded  pistol  in  his  pocket.  In  the  course 
of  three  or  four  years  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  see- 
ing temperance  societies  organized  in  many  towns 
in  that  part  of  Rhode  Island.  This  was  his  pay ; 
for  his  labors  were  without  money  or  price. 
8 


114  LIFE    OF  CHARLES  JEWETT, 

That  the  doctor  had  some  anxiety  lest  his  family- 
should  be  visited  by  ruffians  in  his  absence,  is  evi- 
dent from  the  fact  that  he  provided  his  w^ife  v^dth  a 
gun,  and  taught  her  how  to  use  it.  Under  his  in- 
structions she  soon  learned  to  handle  a  gun  without 
fear,  and  became  a  good  markswoman.  From  that 
day  to  this  woe  to  the  ruffian  or  wharf-rat  committing 
depredations  on  her  premises. 

Schoolhouses  were  often  shut  against  him,  and 
sometimes  he  addressed  the  people  who  gathered, 
upon  the  steps  outside.  On  one  occasion  he  was 
announced  to  speak  at  a  schoolhouse,  but  on  going 
thither  he  found  that  the  committee-man  "  who  held 
the  keys,  and  acted  in  the  capacity  of  St.  Peter,*' 
as  the  doctor  said,  refused  to  open  the  door  for  a 
temperance  lecture.  "What  shall  be  done?"  in- 
quired the  doctor  of  the  people  assembled.  "  Go  to 
my  house,"  replied  the  nearest  neighbor;  and  they 
went.  The  lecture  was  delivered  in  spite  of  the 
opposition. 

As  yet  Dr.  Jewett  had  not  signed  the  total-absti- 
nence pledge.  The  pledge  circulated  did  not  pro- 
hibit the  use  of  wine  or  cider,  and  occasionally  the 
doctor  drank  both.  But  a  brief  interview  with  Ben 
Johnson,  an  intemperate  man,  one  day,  resulted 
in  his  discarding  wine  altogether. 

"Halloo,  Ben  !  I  want  to  see  you,"  cried  the  doc- 
tor, one  day,  on  meeting  him.  Ben  stopped  in  the 
road,  and  turned  about.  "  I  want  you  should  aban- 
don your  gin,  and  join  our  temperance  society. 
What  say  you?" 


THE  SUCCESSFUL   PHYSICIAN.  n- 

Ben  grunted  out  something  that  the  doctor  did  not 
understand. 

"  You  know  that  the  fiery  stuff  does  3^ou  no  good, 
but  a  great  deal  of  hurt.     Come  now,  give  it  up 
and  join  us." 

"Don't  you  drink  wine,  doctor?"  Ben  finally 
inquired. 

"Why,  yes,"  answered  the  doctor  ;  "  but  what  has 
that  to  do  with  gin?  " 

"  Why  do  you  drink  wine  instead  of  water  ? " 
persisted  Ben. 

"Well,"  replied  the  doctor,  "when  I  have  been 
out  riding  for  hours,  and  have  been  broken  of  my 
rest,  and  feel  exhausted  from  excessive  labor,  a  glass 
of  wine  refreshes  me." 

"  That  is  it,  doctor.  Vou  are  right !  "  shouted 
Ben.  "  When  I  have  been  chopping  or  sledding 
wood  all  day  in  the  cold,  and  come  home  tired  and 
chilled  through,  a  glass  of  gin  refreshes  7ne  wonder- 
fully." 

Dr.  Jewett  drank  no  wine  after  listening  to  Ben 
Johnson's  temperance  lecture. 

Assisted  by  his  wife.  Dr.  Jewett  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  the  improvement  of  the  people  morally.  He 
established  a  Sabbath  school  in  East  Greenwich, 
obtaining  question  and  reading  books  of  friends  in 
Providence  and  elsewhere.  At  first  considerable 
opposition  was  aroused  against  the  movement. 

One  said,  "  Dr.  Jewett  is  a  Congregationalist,  and 
ha  does  this  to  introduce  his  creed." 

"It   is  an  ingenious  way  of  his  to  teach  Infant 


Il6  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

Baptism,"  said  a  suspicious  old  woman  ;  "  and  I  ain't 
goin'  ter  lift  the  end  of  my  finger  for  it." 

"It's  just  the  way  to  spread  heresies  and  isms," 
remarked  an  ignorant  preacher  ;  "  and  that  minister 
the  doctor  had  with  him  'tother  Sunday  will  help 
him,  no  doubt," — referring  to  a  clergyman  who 
stopped  with  Doctor  Jew^ett  over  Sabbath,  and 
preached  a  sermon  in  the  hall. 

But  the  doctor  took  little  notice  of  their  opposi- 
tion except  to  laugh  at  them  in  his  inimitable  way ; 
and  finally  it  wore  aw^ay,  and  the  Sabbath  school 
flourished  as  well  as  could  be  expected  in  such  a 
community.  The  doctor  superintended  the  school, 
and  his  wife  taught  a  class.  Here  he  enjoyed  a 
favorable  opportunity  to  preach  "lay  sermons"  for 
the  benefit  of  the  young,  not  omitting  temperance  by 
any  means.  This  school  exerted  a  wide  and  decided 
influence  upon  the  community.  There  is  no  doubt 
that,  for  real  Christian  results,  awakening  intelli- 
gence, and  impelling  to  nobler  living,  it  was  the  best 
institution  the  town  had  ever  enjoyed  to  that  time. 

All  the  people  sung  by  the  "  sperit,"  as  the}^ 
claimed,  in  religious  meetings.  But  the  singing 
grated  harshly  upon  the  feelings  of  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Jewett.  What  could  be  done  to  improve  them  ?  The 
question  was  no  sooner  asked  than  answered.  The 
doctor  resolved  to  run  a  singing-school.  He  could 
play  the  flute,  bass-viol,  and  violin,  and  was  also  a 
capital  singer.  He  belonged  to  a  musical  family ; 
his  brothers  and  sisters  were  good  singers ;  the 
latter  rather  superior. 


THE  SUCCESSFUL  PHYSICIAN.  ny 

Notice  was  given  out  that  the  doctor  would  teach 
the  young  people  singing,  and  older  people  if  they 
desired,  without  charge.  To  practise  for  the  Sab- 
bath services  they  would  meet  on  Saturday  evening, 
and  all  who  were  disposed  would  stop  after  meeting 
on  Sunday  for  general  instruction.  So,  in  due  time. 
Dr.  Jewett  was  converted  into  a  singing-master.  He 
run  the  school  some  time,  playing  the  bass-viol,  and 
he  also  led  the  singing  on  Sundays.  One  Sabbath, 
a  member  of  the  congregation,  who  thought  there 
was  too  much  note  and  rule  in  his  teaching,  called 
out,  "  Doctor,  let  'em  sing  with  the  *  sperit.'  " 

"  That  is  what  we  are  doing,"  replied  the  doctor, 
with  a  roguish  smile  ;  "  with  the  spirit  and  the  tender- 
standing,  according  to  Paul." 

Dr.  Jewett  had  no  idle  moments.  He  improved 
every  minute  that  he  could  snatch  from  public  ser- 
vice in  reading  the  latest  and  best  medical  works, 
and  the  study  of  general  literature,  though  English 
literature  especially  interested  him.  The  standard 
poets  occupied  much  of  his  time,  particularly  Shaks- 
peare  and  Burns.  He  made  himself  quite  familiar 
with  these,  committing  to  memory  those  parts  which 
seemed  to  him  especially  chaste  and  beautiful.  In 
this  way  he  was  a  growing  man  intellectually  as 
well  as  professionally.  The  first  five  years  of  his 
professional  life  developed  him  remarkably.  He 
became  a  marked  man  for  intellect  and  medical  skill 
in  that  time.  When  he  was  thirty  3^ears  old  he  was 
a  man  of  note.  Few  young  physicians  enjoyed  a 
wider  fame  than  he,  and  few  public  men  of  his  age 


Il8  LIFE   OF   CHARLES  JEWETT. 

were  considered  so  talented.  He  kept  two  horses, 
and  often  rode  a  long  distance  in  critical  cases. 
Sometimes  people  would  come  for  him  in  a  Imrry 
when  he  was  absent,  and  they  would  intercept  him 
and  secure  his  services  before  he  returned  home. 
Once,  in  this  way,  he  was  absent  two  days  and 
nights  from   home. 

In  1835,  the  leading  citizens  of  Centreville,  in  the 
town  of  Warwick,  R.  I.,  formally  invited  Dr.  Jewett 
to  settle  in  that  village,  and  take  the  place  of  Dr. 
Knight,  an  old  and  popular  physician,  v/ho  was 
about  to  retire  from  practice.  Centreville  was  five 
miles  from  East  Greenwich.  The  result  was  that 
Dr.  Jewett  bought  out  Dr.  Knight,  and  removed 
thither  with  his  f^imily.  The  foregoing  fact  proves 
that  he  was  held  in  high  estimation  as  a  medical 
practitioner.  His  prospects  for  fame  and  wealth  in 
his  profession  were  flattering  indeed.* 

Dr.  Jewett  reduced  his  views,  respecting  the  medi- 
cal uses  of  alcohol,  to  practice.  He  spoke  and  wrote 
his  sentiments  fearlessly,  though  they  were  in  direct 
conflict  with  the  views  of  the  medical  profession. 

*  Within  a  few  years,  a  Rhode  Island  journal  said  :  "  At  Cen- 
treville is  a  doctor's  office  that  has  been  the  property,  successive- 
ly, of  three  physicians  since  the  year  1836.  The  first  of  the  three 
was  Dr.  Charles  Jewett.  He  was  then  a  thorough  rigid  abstainer 
from  all  intoxicating  liquors.  He  still  lives  in  good  health,  and 
enjoys  life  as  vi'ell  as  when  he  occupied  the  premises  referred  to. 
His  two  successors  were  both  able,  well-educated  men,  enjoyed 
the  pubhc  confidence,  and  were  eminently  useful  to  the  public  for 
a  while.  But  they  both  drank  intoxicating  liquors,  were  enslaved 
b}'  them,  and  died,  years  ago,  intemperate." 


THE  SUCCESSFUL  PHYSICIAN. 


119 


His  own   practice    accorded  with  his  opinions  ex- 
pressed below : 

"  The  old  notion  of  dealing  out  for  every  feeble  paiient, 
convalescent  from  fever  or  other  disease,  a  little  Colombo 
or  gentian  root,  a  handful  of  camomile,  and  a  little  orange 
peel  as  a  tonic,  and  ordering  '  a  pint  of  West  India  rum,'  or 
*  pure  Holland  gin,'  wherewith  to  extract  their  virtues,  and 
perhaps  make  a  drunkard  of  the  patient,  is  a  mere  relic 
of  barbarism,  as  much  so  as  the  ancient  pillory  or  whip- 
ping-post. I  deny  that  there  is  any  sitch  necessity  for  the 
use  of  alcoholic  stimulants,  as  should  lead  to  the  licensing 
of  any  particular  establishment  for  their  sale,  any  more 
Iban  for  the  sale  of  gamboge  or  blue  vitriol ;  and  I  deny 
die  right  of  any  physician,  in  country  practice  at  least,  to 
order  the  article,  and  post  his  patrons  off  to  a  grog-shop 
to  obtain  it.  All  that  is  really  necessary  he  should  pro- 
vide ;  and  that  he  may  do,  in  ninety-nine  cases  out  of  a 
hundred,  from  a  fountain  not  more  extensive  than  afovr' 
ounce  vial.''* 

That  "  four-ounce  vial "  was  always  found  in  Pr. 
Jewett's  saddle-bags ;  and  he  claimed  that  patients 
could  be  more  safely  trusted  to  go  after  rhubarb  or 
castor-oil,  than  they  could  after  liquors,  since  they 
would  be  more  careful  to  abide  by  the  prescription 
for  the  former  than  the  latter.  He  was  as  far  in 
advance  of  his  medical  brethren  on  this  question,  as 
he  was  in  advance  of  his  temperance  brethren  on 
the  subject  of  prohibition.  And  he  never  modified 
his  views.  He  was  more  confirmed,  if  possible-s  in 
the  last  years  of  his  life,  that  his  views  of  the  medi- 
cal uses  of  alcohol  w^ere  correct.     We  have  heard 


I20  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

him  quote  Cowper  upon  the  subject  with  decided 

effect : 

"  O  madness,  to  think  the  use  of  strongest  wines 
And  strongest  drinks  are  chief  support  of  health, 
When  God  has  these  forbidden  ;  made  choice  to  rear 
His  mighty  champion,*  strong  above  compare. 
Whose  drink  was  only  from  the  limpid  brook." 

He  won  the  reputation  of  being  a  skilful  sur- 
geon. Such  cases  as  the  following  are  cited  to  this 
day.  A  boy  seven  years  old  fell  from  a  tree  and 
broke  his  leg  diagonally  at  the  thigh  (a  bad  break). 
Dr.  Jewett  set  and  cared  for  the  limb,  and  the  boy 
recovered  speedily,  with  a  leg  so  sound  that  he  did 
not  even  limp.  The  lad  is  now  one  of  the  wealthy 
citizens  of  Providence,  a  deacon  in  the  First  Baptist 
Church,  and  thinks  that  "  Dr.  Jewett  made  a  mistake 
in  giving  up  the  practice  of  medicine  to  become  a 
temperance  lecturer." 

In  1834,  ^^  Irishman  attempted  the  murder  of  a 
whole  family  on  the  "  New  England  Pike."  All 
were  stabbed  by  him  except  the  daughter,  who  fled 
and  alarmed  the  neighbors.  The  wounds  of  all 
were  dangerous,  one  or  two  of  them  alarmingly  so. 
Dr.  Jewett  was  called  to  them,  and  by  his  skill  and 
unremitting  attention  saved  every  one  of  them.  The 
happy  result  added  very  much  to  his  fame. 

It  was  at  Centreville  that  he  came  near  losing 
his  life.  The  hand  and  arm  of  a  patient  were  sin- 
gularly diseased,  and  physicians  were  in  doubt  as  to 
the  nature  of  the  disease.     Complete  ulceration  of 

*  Samson. 


THE   SUCCESSFUL  PHYSICIAN.  121 

the  parts,  with  profuse  discharge,  was  its  general 
appearance.  Dr.  Jewett  was  called  to  the  patient, 
and  he  examined  and  dressed  the  parts.  Soon  after 
reaching  home,  his  hand,  arm,  and  shoulder  began 
to  pain  him  severely,  attended  with  great  chilliness 
and  high  fever.  He  understood  th^symptoms  at 
once,  and  supposed  that  he  must  have  had  a  scratch 
on  his  hand  when  he  dressed  the  patient's  arm,  and 
was  badly  poisoned  by  the  virus.  Calling  in  a  gen- 
tleman to  assist  his  wife,  he  went  to  bed  and  ordered 
the  most  active  remedies  to  be  used.  All  through 
the  night  the  two  worked  over  him  with  great  anxi- 
ety, executing  his  orders  promptly.  Towards  morn- 
ing he  was  relieved,  and  in  three  or  four  days  recov- 
ered. A  physician  less  cool  and  self-reliant  would 
have  lost  his  life. 

In  the  course  of  his  systematic  reading.  Dr. 
Jewett  became  deeply  interested  in  the  development 
of  the  agricultural  resources  of  the  West.  He 
studied  the  subject  of  prairie  farming  with  more  than 
ordinary  interest,  particularly  the  methods  of  irriga- 
tion and  supply  of  water  for  stock  and  family  use. 
There  being  no  springs  or  streams  on  the  prairies 
for  miles  often,  even  large  farms  depended  upon 
wells.  When  parties  could  afford  it,  windmills  were 
used  to  pump  the  water  therefrom.  The  doctor 
learned,  however,  that  the  usefulness  of  windmills 
was  much  impaired  for  the  want  of  some  method  to 
regulate  their  speed.  He  became  so  enthusiastic 
over  the  subject  that  he  invented  a  "  regulator,"  and 
actually  put  up  a  windmill,  rather  larger  than  a 


122  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

door,  to  test  the  practicability  of  his  invention.  It 
operated  perfectly,  and  friends  advised  that  he  take 
measures  to  introduce  the  invention  to  the  West. 
But  his  battle  with  disease  and  intemperance  occu- 
pied his  attention  so  thoroughly  that  he  had  no  time 
to  instruct  we^ern  farmers  how  to  run  the  prairies 
by  water. 

Dr.  Jewett  was  scarcely  settled  in  Centreville 
before  he  was  invited  to  address  the  temperance  so- 
ciety on  a  stated  evening.  He  accepted  the  invita- 
tion ;  and,  as  several  rumsellers  were  prosecuting 
their  destructive  business  in  that  and  neighboring 
villages,  he  paid  his  addresses  to  them  in  no  ambig- 
uous way.  Van  Amburg  never  stirred  up  his  cage 
of  lions  more  effectually  than  the  doctor  did  those 
rumsellers. 

When  he  removed  to  Centreville,  two  barrels  of 
cider  were  carried  with  his  effects  and  put  into  his 
cellar.  Although  the  doctor  had  not  3et  signed  a 
total-abstinence  pledge,  he  did  not  drink  cider  ex- 
cept occasionally  when  he  called  to  see  a  patient. 
The  two  barrels  were  intended  for  vinegar.  Not 
long  afterwards,  however,  a  man  called  at  his  door 
to  inquire  if  he  had  a  barrel  of  cider  to  sell.  The 
doctor  thought  a  moment,  and  concluded  that  one 
barrel  would  make  all  the  vinegar  his  family  could 
use.  "Yes,  I  can  sell  you  a  barrel,"  answered  the 
doctor.  The  bargain  was  concluded, and  the  strang- 
er took  the  cider  away. 

A  few  days  only  elapsed  when  the  superintendent 
of  a  factory  in  the  neighborhood  called  and  said, 


THE  SUCCESSFUL  PHYSICIAN.  123 

"  Doctoi ,  there  is  a  man  in  the  upper  part  of  the  vil- 
lage in  a  deplorable  state,  and  I  want  3^ou  should 
go  at  once  to  see  him.     His  name  is  Wilcox." 

"  What  is  the  matter  with  him  ?  "  the  doctor  asked. 

"I  should  call  it  a  sort  of  drunken  craziness,"  the 
superintendent  answered. 

The  doctor  thought  at  once  of  the  rumsellers  he 
had  stirred  up,  and  inquired  further,  "Where  did 
he  get  his  liquor?"  —  evidently  resolved  in  his  mind 
that  the  offending  dealer  would  "  catch  it." 

"  I  aon't  think  he  has  had  any  liquor,"  replied  the 
man. 

"  No  liquor !  "  exclaimed  the  doctor,  surprised. 
"  On  wdiat,  then,  did  he  get  drunk?  " 

"Why,  somebody  sold  him  a  barrel  of  cider  a  few 
days  ago,  and  he  has  been  pouring  it  down  ever 
since.  He  is  not  so  drunk  as  to  prevent  his  moving 
about,  but  he  is  fierce  as  a  tiger,  and  the  moment 
he  goes  into  the  street  the  neighbors  shut  their  doors 
and  bolt  them." 

This  was  enough.  The  doctor  was  on  the  track 
of  the  rumseller.  It  was  very  evident  where  the 
man  got  his  liquor.  Years  afterwards,  writing  of 
that  occasion,  he  said  : 

"  What  a  revelation  was  here  !  The  superintendent  did 
not  know  that  I  sold  that  barrel  of  cider,  but  I  knew  it, 
and  if  I  ever  felt  like  getting  into  a  very  small  place,  and 
shutting  the  door  after  me,  it  was  then.  Could  I  have 
been  bought  that  morning  at  the  then  present  valuation, 
and  afterwards  sold  at  former  estimates,  somebody  would 
have  made  a  speculation." 


124  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT, 

Dr.  Jewett  lost  no  time  in  seeing  the  unfortunate 
man. 

"Sell  me  what  cider  remains,  and  I  will  give 
you  what  you  paid  me  for  the  whole,"  was  the 
first  thing  the  doctor  said  to  him.  But  the  poor 
fellow  did  not  wish  to  traffic,  so  that  the  doctor 
could  not  get  possession  of  the  cider.  His  object 
was  to  empty  the  barrel  at  once,  but  he  did  not 
succeed.  He  prescribed  remedies  for  the  man,  and 
assured  him  that  he  should  see  him  again  early  the 
next  morning.  The  doctor  was  hardly  out  of  sight 
before  the  drunkard's  wife  glided  down  cellar,  and 
set  the  cider  to  running.    The  barrel  was  soon  empty. 

"That  incident  taught  me,"  wrote  the  doctor, 
*  that  there  is  but  one  consistent  course  for  any  real 
friend  of  temperance  to  pursue,  namely,  to  wage 
uncompromising  and  indiscriminate  war  on  all  in- 
toxicating liquors,  no  matter  by  what  name  they 
may  be  called." 

At  one  time  the  temperance  battle  waxed  so 
warm  in  consequence  of  the  doctor's  fearless  attacks 
upon  the  liquor  traffic,  that  he  was  often  insulted 
and  threatened.  Along  from  1834  ^^  1840,  a  mobo- 
cratic  spirit  seemed  to  pervade  the  land.  In  many 
of  the  large  cities  and  centres  of  influence,  as  Bos- 
ton, New  York,  Syracuse,  Baltimore,  &c.,  temper- 
ance, anti-slavery,  and  other  meetings  for  reform, 
were  broken  up  by  mobs.  Even  Dr.  Graham  was 
mobbed  in  Boston  for  undertaking  to  lecture  upon 
diet.  It  seemed  as  if  a  Satanic  spirit  were  aroused 
against  all  opposers  of  wickedness  and  wrong  every- 


THE  SUCCESSFUL  PHYSICIAN.  125 

where.  Men's  lives  were  threatened,  and  some  were 
actually  murdered.  Their  houses  were  mobbed 
by  drunken  rabbles,  and  their  places  of  business 
burned.  The  fiendish  spirit  pervaded  Rhode  Island, 
and  temperance  reformers  were  tabooed.  Dr.  Jew- 
ett  received  his  share  of  abuse  and  insult  from  a 
drunken  class  who  knew  not  what  they  did.  Friends 
told  him  that  no  appeals  or  persuasion  could  influ- 
ence the  class  who  assailed  him ;  that  nothing  less 
than  a  knowledge  of  his  superior  strength  would 
deter  them  from  violence.  He  reflected  seriously 
upon  the  matter,  and  decided  what  to  do.  He 
believed  in  "  muscular  Christianity,"  and  he  pos- 
sessed as  much  of  it  as  any  man  in  the  county.  He 
resolved  to  make  an  exhibit  of  it  to  his  assailants. 
Nor  was  he  obliged  to  wait  long.  Going  into  a 
place  of  business  where  several  of  his  enemies  had 
congregated,  one  of  them  grossly  insulted  him. 
The  doctor  seized  him  by  the  nap  of  his  neck  and 
sent  him  head  over  heels  out  the  door.  Before  the 
fellow  picked  himself  up,  the  doctor  had  him  by  the 
coat-collar,  and  he  proceeded  to  whirl  him  round 
and  round  so  furiously  that  his  legs  were  out  straight 
as  he  revolved,  that  his  associates  might  understand 
he  did  not  fear  their  threats.  Then,  setting  the  man 
upon  his  feet,  he  said,  "  You  and  I  are  friends ;  but 
this  business  must  be  stopped." 

Dr.  Jewett  was  never  insulted  in  that  community 
again.  A  wrecked  sea-captain  could  not  purchase  a 
canoe  of  the  natives  of  the  island  on  which  he  was 
wrecked  for  money ;  but  they  sold  him  one  for  a 
jack-knife.     The  poor,  untaught  heathen  could  not 


126  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

appreciate  currency,  but  a  jack-knife  was  the  height 
of  their  capacity.  So  the  doctor's  assailants  could 
neither  understand  nor  respect  the  "Golden  Rule," 
or  the  simplest  precepts  of  the  Gospel,  but  a  "  licking  " 
was  just  suited  to  their  ability. 

As  we  are  speaking  of  the  doctor's  great  strength, 
an  incident  deserves  mention  here.  Wrestling  was 
common  in  that  part  of  Rhode  Island.  Many  youths 
and  men  prided  themselves  upon  their  wrestling 
ability.  Often  one  was  pitted  against  another. 
There  was  one  of  the  number,  a  worthless  bragga- 
docio, who  was  boasting  of  his  powers,  one  day 
when  Dr.  Jewett  happened  along.  With  some 
jocose  remark  he  alluded  to  their  sport,  and  reflected 
on  their  want  of  skill  and  strength,  whereupon  the 
aforesaid  boaster  challenged  him  to  a  trial.  Laugh- 
ingly the  doctor  accepted,  causing  considerable  mer- 
riment to  the  company.  In  three  minutes  the  doctor 
flung  him,  and  did  it  with  such  force  as  to  break  the 
-po  or  fellow's  leg.  When  Dr.  Jewett  saw  what  he 
had  done,  all  the  sport  in  him  vanished  at  once,  and 
he  poured  but  his  regrets  sorrowfully,  took  the  suf- 
ferer to  his  home,  and  carefully  attended  him  until 
the  broken  limb  "  was  as  good  as  new."  He  never 
wrestled  again ;  for  manufacturing  a  patient  to 
doctor  gratuitously  would  never  make  a  paying 
business. 

Notwithstanding  the  opposition  and  abuse  the 
doctor  experienced,  he  neither  faltered  nor  lost 
courage.  The  greater  the  hostility,  the  greater  was 
his  zeal  and  pluck  apparently.  Like  tea,  his  real 
strength  was  proved  by  being  in  "  hot  water." 


ABANDONS  MEDICINE.  127 


VIII. 

ABANDONS   MEDICINE. 

DR.  JEWETT'S  efficient  labors  in  the  Tempei- 
ance  Reform  won  a  high  reputation  for  him 
all  through  Rhode  Island  by  the  time  he  was  thirty 
years  of  age.  His  talents,  eloquence,  wit,  energy, 
and  indomitable  perseverance  made  him  the  promi- 
nent champion  of  the  cause. 

A  short  time  before  he  relinquished  his  medical 
practice  for  the  temperance-lecture  field,  he  wrote 
"An  Address  to  Retailers  of  Intoxicating  Liquors,"  in 
rhyme, which  was  published  in  Zion's Herald,  Boston. 
The  friends  of  temperance  in  Rhode  Island  printed  it 
subsequently  in  the  form  of  a  handbill,  and  scattered 
it  by  thousands  over  the  state.  We  have  space  for 
only  brief  extracts  .  Evidently  he  had  in  view  the 
death  of  a  drunkard  named  Briggs,  and  closed  the 
article  by  reference  to  the  following  fact.  One  Mr. 
Kelton  purchased  something  for  his  sisters  at  the 
store,  and  the  trader  wrapped  it  in  a  leaf  torn  from 
an  account-book.  On  reaching  home,  a  week's 
purchase  of  gin  was  found  on  the  leaf,  charged  to 
said  Briggs,  thus  : 

''  Monday,  Sept.  24,  to    one  quart  of  gin.    [Price.] 
Tuesday,      "       25,   ''      "        "       "      "  " 

Wednesday,"      26,   "      "        "       "      "  " 

Thursday,    "      27,   "      "        "       "      "  " 

Friday,         "      28,   "      "       "       "      "  " 


128  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

Briggs  died  on  Friday  night,  and  the  next  charge 
was  : 

''  Saturday,  Sept.  29,  to  5  yds.  cloth  for  winding-sheet  '* 

"^  But  here  the  old  excuse  yet  meets  us  still, 
'  If  I  don't  sell  the  poison,  others  will. 
Then  let  them  sell,  and  thou  wilt  be  no  worse ; 
They'll  have  the  profits^  and  they'll  have  the  curse. 
If  some  will  still  do  wrong,  thou  shouldst  refuse : 
The  sins  of  others  cannot  yours  excuse. 
Is  it,  in  foct,  a  privilege  to  sell 
What  kills  the  body,  dooms  the  soul  to  hell? 


*'  Come  now,  draw;  near,  my  money-making  friend ; 
You  saw  the  starting;  come  and  see  the  end. 
When  you  first  filled  his  glass  one  would  suffice ; 
Next  two  were  wanting ;  and  now  here  he  lies. 
Look  there  into  that  open  grave,  and  say. 
Dost  feel  no  sorrow,  no  remorse  to-day  ? 
Does  not  your  answering  conscience  loud  declare 
That  your  cursed  avarice  has  laid  him  there.'* 
Recall  the  virtues  which  he  once  possessed : 
How  justly  honored,  and  how  richly  blessed, 
With  health  uninjured,  character  unstained, 
While  at  his  hearth  domestic  comfort  reigfned. 


"  Go  meet  him  there.     A  smiling  wife  you'd  see, 
And  prattling  children  climbing  up  his  knee. 
His  heart  was  cheerful,  and  his  conscience  clear, 
And  thus  he  journeyed  on  from  year  to  year, 
Till,  oh,  sad  day  !  when  first  he  chanced  to  drop 
Within  the  confines  of  your  slaughter-shop. 
You  filled  for  him  the  intoxicating  glass. 
Loud  cracked  your  jokes,  and  bade  the  bumper  pass; 


ABANDONS  MEDICINE,  1 29 

And  while  he,  thoughtless,  poured  the  ruin  down, 
You  counted  future  cups  from  seed  then  sown  ; 
And  you  have  reaped  even  all  his  earthly  store  ; 
For  Death  hath  snatched  him,  and  your  harvest's  o'er. 

''Now,  since  the  earth  has  closed  o'er  his  remains. 
Turn  o'er  your  book,  and  count  your  honest  gains. 
How  doth  the  account  for  his  last  week  begin?  — 
*  Monday,  the  twenty-fourth^  one  giiart  of  gin  I ' 
A  like  amount  for  each  succeeding  day. 
Tells  on  the  book,  but  wears  his  life  away. 
Saturday's  charge  makes  out  the  account  complete  ; 
'  To  cloth,,  fve  yards,,  to  make  a  ivinding-sheetl^ 
There  ail  stands  fair,  without  mistake  or  flav/  ; 
How  honest  trade  will  thrive,  upheld  by  law  !  " 

Another  incident  turned  the  attention  of  leading 
temperance  men  in  Rhode  Island  to  Dr.  Jewett 
when  an  agent  was  required  to  canvass  the  state. 
The  liquor-license  law  had  received  the  attention  of 
speakers  from  the  start,  and  its  inhuman  and  god- 
less character  had  been  thoroughly  discussed.  Dr. 
Jewett  was  its  most  powerful  opponent.  He  struck 
at  it  on  every  public  occasion,  and  denounced  it 
in  private.  Nor  were  they  light  blows  that  he  in- 
flicted upon  the  license  system.  He  never  exhibited 
more  power  and  boldness  than  in  his  attacks  upon 
that  curse  of  a  law.  The  result  was,  that  the  legis- 
lature passed  an  act  allowing  the  towns  of  the  state 
to  adopt  or  reject  license  by  vote  on  a  certain  day. 
The  friends  of  temperance  went  into  the  canvass 
with  a  will.  Dr.  Jewett  was  in  his  element.  It 
was  a  good  opportunity  to  smite  the  law  —  the  be- 

9 


130  LIFE   CF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

ginning  of  what  he  could  see  was  a  favorable  end. 
It  was  a  short,  hot,  and  somewhat  acrimonious 
contest.  In  some  of  the  towns  "  no  license  "  was 
victorious;  in  others,  license.  On  the  whole,  the 
result  was  full  as  good  as  Dr.  Jewett  anticipated.  In 
his  own  town — Warwick  —  the  liquor  party  tri- 
umphed. On  the  day  after  the  election  the  leading 
rumseller  of  the  place  announced  that  the  victory 
would  be  celebrated  in  the  evening  at  his  liquor 
shop,  and  that  he  should  keep  open  doors  and  fur- 
nish free  drinks,  and  they  would  have  an  hilarious 
time  until  the  small  hours  of  the  morning. 

Dr.  Jewett  understood  what  such  a  general  invi- 
tation meant  —  the  most  drunken  scene  that  had 
disgraced  the  town  for  a  long  time.  The  elements  of 
a  bacchanalian  powwow  existed  in  the  village,  and 
he  knew  full  well  that  they  would  seethe  and  boil 
in  that  caldron  of  vice  as  never  before.  So  he  sat 
down  and  scribbled  off  a  few  verses,  which  he  sent 
into  the  rumseller's  riotous  levee  in  the  evening  for 
the  edification  of  all  concerned.  The  first  two 
Btanzas  ran  thus : 

"  Ye  friends  of  grog,  rejoice,  rejoice  ! 

The  work,  the  glorious  work  is  done ! 
Raise  high  each  trembling,  stammering  voice ; 
The  battle  's  fought,  and  we  have  won  ! 

"  Ye  old  established  bruisers,  come,  , 
With  purple  blossoms  on  each  nose, 
My  house  this  day  shall  be  your  home ; 
Rejoice  with  us  o'~er  fallen  foes  !  '* 


ABANDONS  MEDICINE.  131 


The  communication  closed  thus  : 

*'  What  though  our  wives  should  scold  and  fret? 
Blows  well  applied,  will  cool  their  spunk ; 
While  rum  our  parching  throats  can  wet, 
Rejoice,  and  be  exceeding  drunk !  " 

That  the  poetical  effusion  exasperated  the  miser- 
able company  we  need  not  inform  the  reader.  But 
Dr,  Jewett  had  become  too  well  known  to  be  as- 
saulted with  impunity.  The  booziest  fellow  in  the 
crowd  did  not  dare  to  vent  his  spite  upon  this  fear- 
less foe  of  the  grog-shop. 

Still  another  incident,  more  than  those  mentioned 
perhaps,  increased  the  doctor's  notoriety.  The 
Providence  Temperance  Society  adopted  a  resolu- 
tion recommending  the  friends  of  temperance  to 
withdraw  patronage  from  grocers  who  sold  intoxi- 
cating liquors.  Samuel  Young,  a  prominent 
grocer  and  rumseller,  attacked  the  society  in  the 
Courier ;  and  his  article  was  sent  to  Dr.  Jewett,  at 
Centreville,  with  a  request  that  he  should  reply 
to  it. 

The  doctor  was  only  too  glad  of  an  opportunity  to 
expose  the  wicked  business,  and  he  replied  in  the 
same  journal.  It  was  the  beginning  of  a  contro- 
versy that  continued  several  weeks,  creating  interest 
on  both  sides,  and  causing  a  great  demand  for  the 
papers. 


132  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

In  one  of  his  articles  Dr.  Jewett  exposed  the 
meanness  of  the  liquor  traffic  in  very  strong  lan- 
guage, creating  great  commotion  among  the  liquor 
fraternity  by  the  following  verse  : 

*'  I'd  sooner  black  my  visage  o'er, 

And  put  the  shine  on  boots  and  shoes, 
Than  stand  within  a  liquor  store 
0  And  rinse  the  glasses  drunkards  use." 

Perhaps  no  one  verse  was  ever  more  widely  quoted 
in  our  country  than  this.  Temperance  and  anti- 
temperance  papers  quoted  it,  the  former  to  indorse 
and  laugh,  the  latter  to  condemn  and  scold.  In 
temperance  meetings  and  families,  as  well  as  in 
grog-shops,  it  was  repeated,  in  the  one  case  to 
approve,  in  the  other  to  denounce.  In  one  liquor 
store  in  Providence  it  proved  to  be  as  effective  as  a 
sermon.  The  young  man  who  was  running  it,  read 
the  verse  over  and  over.  There  was  something 
about  it  exactly  suited  to  his  case.  When  he  rinsed 
the  glass  of  the  next  customer,  the  line,  "And  rinse 
the  glasses  drunkards  use,"  he  repeated  almost  audi- 
bly. It  was  so  with  the  next  customer,  and  the 
next,  and  the  next,  until  the  conscience-smitten  fel- 
low closed  his  saloon  and  sought  other  business. 

It  was  natural,  in  these  circumstances,  for  all  eyes 
to  be  turned  to  Dr.  Jewett,  when  an  efficient  lectur- 
ing agent  was  required  by  the  Rhode  Island  Tem- 
perance Society.  With  unanimous  and  urgent  voice 
the  doctor  was  invited  to  this  new  field.  It  was  vir- 
tually a  request  that  he  would  abandon  his  chosen 


ABANDONS  MEDICINE, 


T'ZZ 


profession  to  become  a  temperance  reformer.  The 
invitation  was  unexpected,  but  no  less  complimen- 
tar}'-  on  that  account.  It  was  a  grave  question  for 
him  to  settle.  Wealth  and  high  position  were  prom- 
ised in  the  medical  profession.  On  the  other  hand, 
here  was  a  new  and  wide  field  of  usefulness,  for 
which  all  friends  said  that  he  was  particularly  qual- 
ified. The  doctor  considered  the  matter  seriously, 
consulted  his  wife,  went  to  God  for  direction,  and 
finally  accepted  the  new  position.  Within  a  few 
weeks  he  entered  upon  the  work  of  lecturing  agent, 
with  headquarters  in  Providence.  His  removal  to 
Providence  was  a  thorn  in  the  flesh  to  the  rum- 
sellers.  They  feared  him  as  they  did  no  other  man. 
They  thought  his  coming  to  Providence  foreboded 
ill  to  their  business.  It  was  not  strange  that  there 
was  a  great  sensation  in  their  camp.  Nor  did  the 
doctor's  method  of  work  yield  them  any  comfort. 
They  took  counsel  of  one  another,  and  some  of  them 
assumed  a  defiant  attitude.  They  "talked  big,"  as 
the  Temperance  Herald  said,  and  ^?^flr5/ threats  were 
not  infrequent.  After  a  time,  the  doctor  received 
threatening  letters.  Some  of  them  promised  a  coat 
of  tar  and  feathers  ;  others  pledged  a  bath  or  watery 
grave  in  Providence  River ;  and  others  still  hinted 
that  a  bullet  would  serve  him  right.  But  the  doctor 
pursued  the  even  tenor  of  his  ways. 

By  a  rousing  canvass  the  friends  of  temperance 
secured  a  vote  against  granting  licenses  in  the  city 
of  Providence.  This  result  exasperated  the  rum- 
sellers   beyond  measure.      They  swore  vengeance 


134  ^^^^   ^^  CHARLES  JEWETT, 

upon  leading  temperance  men,  and  actually  attacked 
Judge  Aplin  at  ten  o'clock  at  night  in  the  street. 
The  judge  was  a  fearless  and  uncompromising  friend 
of  temperance,  who  dealt  out  justice  to  convicted 
rumsellers  with  a  liberal  hand ;  and  scoundrels 
wanted  to  put  h.im  away.  Two  ruffians  were  em- 
ployed to  seize  him  on  his  way  home  from  his  office, 
while  a  third  party,  with  horse  and  carriage,  stood 
ready  to  convey  him  —  somewhere.  Their  plan  was 
to  put  him  into  a  sack  for  convenient  transportation, 
and  convey  him,  no  one  knew  where,  probably  to 
the  river.  But  the  judge  was  too  much  for  his 
assailants,  and  they  failed  to  accomplish  their  pur- 
pose. In  their  flight,  one  of  them  lost  his  hat,  which 
the  judge  retained  as  a  memento.  One  Smith,  the 
proprietor  of  a  rumselling  hotel,  was  strongly  sus- 
pected of  being  one  of  the  assailants,  as  he  appeared 
with  a  new  hat  on  the  next  day. 

It  was  expected  that  Dr.  Jewett  would  be  the  next 
victim  of  the  liquor  interest.  Friends  cautioned  him 
to  be  on  his  guard  constantly,  and  advised  him  to 
keep  indoors  after  dark.  But  the  doctor  never 
changed  his  program  in  consequence  of  threats, 
and  he  was  never  molested.  He  said,  "My  enemies 
relieved  themselves  by  growling  and  scowling,  and 
by '  the  utterance  of  big  oaths  on  the  sidewalk  in 
front  of  my  office." 

Dr.  Jewett  had  never  delivered  an  extemfo7'ane- 
ous  address  when  he  commenced  his  labors  as  agent 
of  the  Rhode  Island  Temperance  Society.  His  first 
address  of  that   sort  was  in  the  town  of  Warren. 


ABANDONS  MEDICINE. 


135 


He  went  thither  with  a  carefully  written  address, 
and  was  entertained  at  the  house  of  the  clergyman. 
Several  rumsellers  and  one  distiller  were  members 
of  his  parish.  The  minister,  of  course,  was  anxious, 
knowing  as  he  did  that  Dr.  Jewett's  method  of  deal- 
ing with  the  liquor  traffic  was  after  the  John  Knox 
style.  Walking  from  the  house  to  the  church  at 
the  hour  of  meeting,  the  clergyman's  anxiety  took 
form  in  the  following  advice,  delicately  and  kindly 
proffered  : 

"Be  as  conciliatory  as  you  can.  Denunciation 
does  little  good  to  the  bad  men  who  deserve  it.  It  is 
not  well  to  stir  up  their  ire." 

The  doctor  was  troubled.  He  did  not  wish  to  get 
the  minister  into  difficulty  with  any  of  his  people, 
and  yet  a  duty  was  laid  upon  his  conscience.  He 
must  not  shirk  that  duty.  What  could  he  do?  In 
this  frame  of  mind  he  went  into  the  pulpit.  Father 
Bonney,  a  superannuated  clergyman  of  the  Metho- 
dist denomination,  led  in  prayer,  and  such  a  prayer ! 
It  was  the  cry  of  a  dependent  soul  for  help.  He 
pleaded  for  the  drunkard,  and  his  wdfe  and  chil- 
dren, with  a  tenderness  that  brought  tears  to  the 
eyes.  He  pleaded  for  the  rumsellers  in  Warren, 
and  for  that  one  distiller,  with  a  desperate  earnest- 
ness as  if  it  were  "  now  or  never  "  with  them.  In 
short,  he  prayed  for  just  those  things  the  temperance 
people  needed  then  and  there.  "No  mention  was 
made  of  the  Sandwich  or  Fejee  islands,"  remarked 
the  doctor,  speaking  of  that  prayer,  "  of  the  mission 
to  heathen  lands,  or  of  any  matter  entirely  foreign 


136  LIFE   OF   CHARLES  JEWETT. 

to  the  occasion,  as  there  generally  is  in  the  prayers 
of  men  who  have  no  hearty  interest  in  the  cause  of 
temperance,  and  yet  are  asked  to  pray  for  it." 

When  the  prayer  ceased,  the  doctor's  embarrass- 
ment had  disappeared ;  and,  casting  aside  his  notes, 
he  spoke  for  one  hour  and  a  half  with  remarkable 
power,  assailing  the  traffic,  moderate  drinking,  and 
milk-and-water  methods  of  dealing  with  an  evil  so 
gigantic. 

From  that  time  Dr.  Jewett  adopted  extemporane- 
ous speaking.     He  said  of  that  experience  : 

"  It  taught  me  that  what  is  really  wanting  to  success  in 
extemporaneous  speaking,  is  that  a  man  discuss  a  subject 
in  which  he  feels  a  deep  interest,  and  one  concerning 
which  he  has  acquired  some  positive  knowledge  wJilcJi 
he  yeels  anxious  to  impart  to  others  ;  that  he  have  a  tol- 
erable acquaintance  with  the  language  he  is  about  to  use, 
and  that  he  shall  be  so  intent  on  accomplishing  some 
desirable  practical  result  by  his  efforts,  that  he  will  forget 
himself,  and  have  not  a  thought  of  what  his  audience  may 
possibly  think  of  his  performance." 

Dr.  Jewett  reduced  to  practice  the  lesson  of  that 
hour  so  thoroughly  that  his  course  of  scientific  tem- 
perance lectures,  conceded  to  be  the  most  valuable 
of  any  temperance  lectures  ever  delivered,  were 
never  committed  to  writing.  Many,  many  times  he 
was  besought  to  write  them  out  carefully  for  the 
press,  but  he  passed  away  without  thus  preserving 
them.  The  little  volume  that  he  published  in  1849 
contained  extemporaneous  discourses  that  were  pho- 
nographically  reported  for  that  particular  work. 


ABANDONS  MEDICINE. 


137 


Speaking  of  Father  Bonney's  prayer,  recalls  an 
incident  in  Dr.  Jewett's  experience.  We  have  sev- 
eral times  heard  him  repeat  prayers  of  ministers 
who  have  dodged  the  main  question.  We  recollect 
his  return  from  lecturing  one  Monday  morning, 
when,  about  the  first  thing,  he  said  : 

"  You  ought  to  have  heard  Mr.  B.'s  prayer  last 
night.  It  was  'good  lord,  good  devil,'  from  begin- 
ning to  end.  He  told  the  Lord  about  the  Fall  of 
Adam,  the  great  wickedness  of  the  human  race,  the 
reign  of  appetites  and  passions,  and  other  bits  of 
news,  and  he  prayed  that  men  might  rise  to  the  dig- 
nity of  true  Christian  manhood  and  be  temperate  in 
all  things ;  and  that  was  the  nearest  he  came  to 
the  subject  before  us,  and  the  needs  of  his  own  peo- 
ple, with  the  rum-traffic  and  drink-curse  among 
them." 

Then,  pausing  a  moment,  he  added,  sarcasm  flash- 
ing in  his  eye  as  plainly  as  it  spoke  in  his  words, 
"  Mockery  !  Mockery  !  " 

In  canvassing  the  state  of  Rhode  Island,  Dr. 
Jewett  lectured  in  Cumberland.  On  the  morning 
after  his  lecture,  before  the  st^fge  left  for  Providence, 
a  lad  of  ten  or  twelve  years  broke  his  leg.  There 
was  no  surgeon  within  several  miles,  and  Dr.  Jewett 
volunteered  his  services.  The  boy's  mother  was 
very  much  frightened,  and  the  boy  himself  was  suf- 
fering severely.  The  doctor  hastened  to  set  the 
limb  and  dress  it,  calling  wit  to  his  aid  in  order  to 
comfort  the  mother  and  interest  the  lad.  All  the 
while  that  he  was  repairing  the  limb,  he  was  crack- 


138  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

ing  jokes  and  telling  stories ;  and  by  the  time  the 
leg  was  dressed,  the  mother  was  calm  and  cheerful, 
and  the  boy  quiet.  The  lad  is  a  man  now,  between 
fifty  and  sixty  years  of  age,  and  he  remembers,  as 
if  it  occurred  but  yesterday,  how  magically  the  doc- 
tor's wit  allayed  the  fears  of  his  mother  and  soothed 
his  own  pains. 

While  Dr.  Jewett  resided  in  Providence,  there  was 
a  town  meeting,  at  which  both  he  and  his  rum- 
selling  antagonist,  Samuel  Young,  were  present. 
Young  rose  to  speak  upon  the  question  before  the 
house,  when  he  discovered  Dr.  Jewett  sitting  near 
by.  The  sight  of  the  man  who  had  pummelled  him 
so  with  his  pen  seemed  to  exasperate  him,  and  he 
began  to  berate  the  doctor,  calling  him  anything 
but  an  honest  man,  and  declaring  that  he  would 
"  lick  "  him  if  he  could  catch  him  on  the  street.  All 
this  time  the  doctor  sat  with  his  eye  turned  up 
towards  the  speaker,  and  humor  that  could  almost 
speak  twinkling  out  of  its  corner,  which  spectacle 
appeared  to  increace  the  rage  of  Young.  When 
the  speaker  ceased.  Dr.  Jewett  arose,  with  fun  beam- 
ing out  of  every  lineament  of  his  face,  and  said  : 

"  My  friend  Young  has  told  you  some  things  that 
he  will  do.  He  has  expressed  himself  very  frankly 
and  fully ;  but  he  will  not  be  half  so  bad  as  he 
claims.  He  says  that  he  will  *  lick '  me  when  he 
catches  me  on  the  street ;  but  friend  Young  won't 
do  any  such  thing.  He  wouldn't  do  it  if  he  could, 
and  he  knows  that  he  couldn't  do  it  if  he  would." 
And  he  continued  after  this  manner,  interspersing 


ABANDONS  MEDICINE. 


139 


the  most  amusing  stories  and  illustrations,  until  the 
whole  assembly,  both  friends  and  foes,  laughed, 
cheered,  and  clappe:!  their  hands,  to  the  mortifica- 
tion of  the  rumseller,  who  took  his  hat  and  left  the 
hall  in  a  rage.  Both  sides  conceded  a  signal  victory 
to  the  doctor. 

After  the  city  of  Providence  voted  "  no  license," 
and  the  wrath  of  rumsellers  was  at  its  height,  a 
lauorhable  incident  occurred  on  Christian  Hill.  A 
drunken  fellow  w^as  seen  near  the  "  Hoyle  Tavern," 
in  the  western  part  of  the  city,  digging  away  at  the 
foot  of  a  certain  pole. 

**  Hallo  !  What  are  you  doing  there?  "  inquired 
a  passer-by. 

The  boozy  digger  looked  up  and  replied  : 

"  Our  liberties  are  all — hie — taken  away,  and  it's 
only  a  mo — mockery  to  have  liberty-poles  sticking 
up  about  the — hie — city,  when  w^e  have  got  no  lib- 
erty ;  and  I'm  going  to  dig  'em  down." 

"Liberty-poles  indeed,  you  blockhead!"  replied 
the  gentleman.  "Why,  look  up  and  see  what  is 
over  3'our  head." 

The  fellow  looked  and  saw  the  tavern-sign  swing- 
ing from  the  pole.  He  had  taken  the  tavern  sign- 
post for  the  liberty-pole.  The  doctor  celebrated  the 
event  in  the  Rhode  Island  Temperance  Herald, 
which  he  edited,  in  verse  : 

"  Yes,  dig  it  down  ;  ply  well  the  spade, 
And  make  it  bow  its  haughty  head ; 
For  at  its  side  there  hangs  a  sign, 
That  tells  of  brandy,  rum,  and  wine. 


I^O  LIFE    OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

A  sign  suspended  to  that  pole, 

Tempts  oft  the  throng, 

That  pass  along, 
To  come  and  quaff  the  poisonous  bowl. 

"  When  Britain  bade  your  fathers  pay 

A  paltry  tax  on  tea, 
They  threw  that  luxury  away, 

And  gave  it  to  the  sea. 
But  had  that  lusty  cargo  been 
Rum  punch,  ye  ne'er  had  thrown  it  in. 

**  They  suffered  hunger,  cold,  and  pain. 

To  save  us  from  disgrace  ; 
But  ye,  their  sons,  for  three-cent  gains, 

Would  blast  the  rising  race. 
Yes,  ye  would  make  the  widows  wail, 
Rather  than  let  your  fr-ofits  fail." 

There  were  ten  or  twelve  stanzas  of  the  poem, 
and  the  friends  of  temperance  published  it  upon  a 
sheet,  illustrated  with  a  cut  of  the  "  Hoyle  Tavern," 
and  the  drunken  man  digging  down  the  sign-post. 
Thousands  of  copies  were  scattered  over  the  state, 
pleasing  temperance  men  and  shaming  the  support- 
ers of  the  liquor  traffic. 

It  was  believed  that  this  and  kindred  efforts  ac- 
complished much  good  for  the  cause.  Thirty  years 
ago,  Dr.  Jewett  wrote  in  explanation  of  his  use  of 
verse,  while  he  did  not  claim  to  be  a  poet : 

"  However  severely  my  attempts  at  verse  might  suffer 
from  a  severe  criticism,  I  find  pleasure  in  the  belief  that 


ABANDONS  MEDICINE. 


141 


they  have  sometimes  contributed  to  the  gratification  of 
those  who  love  the  cause  of  temperance,  and  who  dil- 
igently labor  for  its  advancement.  That  consideration 
shall  still  afford  me  comfort,  even  though  some  keen  dis- 
secter  of  words  and  sentences  should  undertake  to  punish 
me  for  my  presumption,  and  break  a  butterfly  upon  the 
critic's  wheel.  I  am  not  vain  enough  to  suppose  that  I 
have  any  claim  to  the  appellation  of  poet,  and  shall  never 
go  out  of  my  way  as  a  reformer,  or  spend  an  hour  of  the 
time  allotted  me  on  earth,  in  efforts  to  secure  even  a 
sprig  of  that  laurel  which  belongs  to  the  followers  of  the 
Nine." 

That  Dr.  Jevvett  was  a  poet  "  sown  by  nature," 
his  vivid  imagination,  delicate  sense  of  the  refined 
and  beautiful,  and  inclination  to  express  his  thoughts 
in  verse,  furnish  ample  proof.  Had  he  devoted 
himself  to  this  rare  accomplishment  as  he  did  to  the 
study  of  medicine,  or  to  the  work  of  reform,  he 
would  have  adorned  the  society  of  song.  What  he 
did  in  this  line  was  only  "  to  point  a  moral  or  adorn 
a  tale."  Whenever  he  believed  that  rollicking  verse 
would  serve  his  purpose  better  than  staid  prose,  his 
muse  spread  her  "  wings  "  without  thought  or  study. 
But  his  heart  was  so  absorbed  in  the  practical  things 
of  life  that  he  had  no  time  for  the  cultivation  of  the 
poetic  art.  No  ripe  scholar,  however,  ever  pos- 
sessed nicer  taste  for  genuine  poetry  than  did  he ; 
and  he  made  himself  familiar,  by  the  improvement 
of  odd  moments,  with  many  of  the  best  poets  of 
ancient  and  modern  days. 

During  Dr.  Jewett's  agency  in  Rhode  Island,  two 


142  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT. 

incidents  occurred  in  Pawtucket,  in  which  he  per- 
formed an  important  part.  He  went  thither  one  day 
to  the  house  of  Abraham  Wilkinson,  who  was  an 
uncompromising  foe  to  the  liquor  traffic.  While 
conversing  with  his  host,  a  gentleman  entered  in 
haste,  and,  taking  Mr.  W.  to  the  farther  part  of  the 
room,  conversed  with  him  in  a  low  tone.  The  doc- 
tor mistrusted  that  some  rumseller  was  on  the  tapis, 
when  he  heard  the  sentence,  "We  want  one  man 
more." 

'^  I  am  at  your  service,"  said  Dr.  Jewett,  stepping 
up  to  the  speaker.  Mr.  Wilkinson  introduced  him, 
adding,  "  He  will  do."  The  two  crossed  the  street 
immediately  into  a  store  where  a  convicted  rum- 
seller  was  under  keepers.  A  mob  of  rumsellers  and 
drinkers  had  gathered  in  front  of  the  building, 
swearing  vengeance  upon  the  "  cold  water  fanatics  " 
who  should  undertake  to  carry  him  to  Providence. 
Threats  of  shooting  and  killing  were  uttered  in  no 
polished  phrases. 

The  sheriff  had  three  men  besides  the  doctor — ■ 
five  in  all.  A  few  temperance  men  also,  with  three 
wagons,  drove  up  to  the  door  at  once,  when  the 
rumseller  was  collared,  dragged  to  the  middle  wag- 
on, and  lifted  to  a  seat  therein,  beside  the  sheriff 
and  his  assistants.  It  was  all  done  in  a  moment ; 
and  before  the  crowd  was  aroused  from  its  won- 
der, crack  went  the  whip,  and  the  three  teams 
started  upon  the  run.  The  mob  sprang  for  the 
middle  wagon,  in  which  was  the  prisoner,  intending 
to  upset  it,  but  they  were  too  late,  and  the  teams 


ABANDONS  MEDICINE.  I43 

dashed  forward  at  a  rapid  rate  to  the  Providence 
jail,  where  the  rumseller  was  safely  lodged.  A  part 
of  the  mob  followed  them  for  a  distance  in  teams, 
pouring  out  indignation  and  wrath.  The  doctor 
shall  tell  the  rest  of  the  stor}^ : 

"I  expected  a  battle  on  our  way  back,  and  for  lack  ot 
a  breech-loader  or  a  Remington  six-shooter,  I  helped  my- 
self to  a  three-foot  oak  club  of  reasonable  size  from  the 
jailer's  wood-pile,  and  so  we  started.  Instead  of  going 
back  by  the  way  we  came,  however,  our  drivers  took  the 
old  road  to  Pawtucket,  and  in  about  forty  minutes  we 
were  eating  buckwheat  cakes  and  honey  at  Uncle  Abra- 
ham's (as  Mr.  Wilkinson  was  called),  while  the  poor  sat- 
ellites of  the  liquor-sellers,  who  had  followed  us  half-way 
to  Providence,  were  still  lying  in  wait  by  the  turnpike 
roadside,  to  pelt  us  with  stones  on  our  return. 

"  Uncle  Abraham  remarked,  with  a  beaming  counte- 
nance, as  he  passed  the  buckwheats,  '  There  is  one  less 
rumseller  in  Pawtucket.'  '* 

This  incident  illustrates  Dr.  Jewett's  great  cour- 
age as  well  as  the  facility  with  which  he  could  adapt 
himself  to  circumstances.  The  other  incident  illus- 
trates his  accuracy  in  personating  character.  In 
this  branch  of  imitation  he  excelled  all  the  persons 
we  ever  knew.  Even  reformed  men,  who  know  by 
experience  what  drunkenness  is,  testify  that  Dr. 
Jewett  personated  the  drunkard  perfectly. 

He  went  to  Pawtucket  to  lecture.  An  hour  or 
more  before  the  lecture  he  stepped  into  a  barber's 
shop,  where  he  had  often  been,  and  while  there,  two 
drunken  young  men  rushed  in  with,  "  How  are  you, 


144  ^^^^  ^^  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

Joe?  Give  us  the  time  of  day.  Ha,  what's  up? 
Put  'em  through,  my  boy  ! " 

Thinking  to  obtain  some  information  about  the 
traffic,  the  doctor  gave  a  knowing  wink  to  the  bar- 
ber, and  immediately  assumed  the  role  of  a  drunk- 
ard, and  complained  that  Pawtucket  "  had  got  to  be 
so  mighty  temperate  that  a  stranger  can't  find  a  drop 
to  wet  his  whistle." 

The  young  rowdies,  supposing  that  he  was  a  man 
after  their  sort,  replied  : 

"  There's  liquor  enough  in  Pawtucket  if  you  know 
where  to  find  it." 

"Just  so;  but  there's  the  trouble,  you  see,"  an- 
swered the  doctor.  "  I'm  a  stranger  in  the  place, 
and  how  should  I  know?  " 

"Come  along,"  said  they,  "and  we  will  show 
3^ou." 

Away  they  went,  the  doctor  in  the  middle,  appar- 
ently as  drunk  as  either  of  them,  over  Pawtucket 
bridge,  to  the  Massachusetts  side,  into  the  liquor 
store  of  one  Crane.  The  young  men  pushed  for- 
ward into  a  room  in  the  rear,  and  proceeded  to  draw 
liquor  for  themselves,  the  doctor  keeping  close  to 
them. 

"  Now,  stranger,  what'll  you  have  ?  " 

Thinking  to  call  for  something  the  rumseller  did 
not  have,  the  doctor  replied : 

"  If  I  take  anything,  I'll  take  a  glass  of  ale." 

"Sartin,"  said  one  rowdy.  "All  right;  the  ale 
is  in  the  front  store ;"  and  they  led  on  to  the  beer- 
pump. 


ABANDONS  MEDICINE. 


14s 


While  the  dealer  was  drawing  the  liquor,  the 
doctor  resolved  what  to  do,  and  he  took  occasion  to 
remark : 

"  I  want  you  to  understand  now,  that  I  don't  go 
none  of  your  swill  stuff.  If  your  beer 's  all  right  I 
ehall  go  it ;  and  if  it  isn't,  I  shan't." 

"It's  all  right,"  said  Crane,  passing  a  glass  of  it 
ill  foaming. 

Taking,  and  lifting  it  to  his  mouth,  he  blew  off 
'he  foam  with  such  a  puff  as  to  send  it  into  the  sell- 
er's face,  who  took  no  offence,  since  it  was  just  the 
way  drunkards  did. 

"  Sour  !  "  the  doctor  cried  out. 

"No,  it  ain't !  "  said  Crane  ;  "  it  is  first-rate." 

"  You  lie  !  "  roared  the  doctor,  like  a  toper  mad 
dear  through.  "I  guess  I  know  beer."  Then 
dropping  his  voice,  he  continued  :  "  But,  never  mind  ; 
we  won't  quarrel  over  it.  But  what  do  you  say  now^ 
on  the  whole;  had  I  best  drink  it  or  not?  You 
see  how  it  is  with  me  ;  what  do  you  say?  Speak  it 
now  like  a  man  ;   what  do  you  say  ?  " 

"  On  the  whole,  I  guess  I  would  not  drink  any 
more.     I  think  you  have  got  enough." 

The  doctor  acknowledged  that  the  rumseller  was 
right. 

"  But  I'll  pay  for  it,"  he  said. 

"No,"  replied  Crane;  "if  you  don't  drink  it,  you 
needn't  pay." 

"  But  look  here,"  continued  the  doctor,  "  didn't  I 
call  for  it,  eh?" 

"  Yes,  of  course  you  did." 
10 


146  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

"  Well,  now  I  want  3'ou  to  iinderstmid  that  I'm  no 
sneak,  anyhow ;  and  when  /  calls  for  things  I  -pays 
for  'em.     What's  to  pay?  " 

"  If  you  pay  anything,  it'll  be  three  cents." 

"All  right ;  "  and  fumbling  in  his  pocket,  he  drew 
forth  some  coppers  with  his  right  hand,  and  counted 
out  three  with  great  precision,  one  by  one,  into  the 
open  palm  of  the  left  hand,  exclaiming,  "There 
you  have  it !  That's  right,  ain't  it?  That  makes  it 
all  square  'twixt  you  and  I,  don't  it?  " 

"Yes,  all  right,"  answered  Crane. 

In  half  an  hour  from  that  time  the  doctor  stood 
before  a  larore  audience  in  one  of  the  churches  of 
Pav/tucket,  where  he  rehearsed  his  adventures  in 
the  liquor  saloon,  thus  furnishing  evidence  against 
another  rumseller. 

The  excitement  of  that  evening  can  be  better  im- 
agined than  described.  Before  the  lecture  was 
through.  Crane  was  informed  of  the  joke  played 
on  him ;  but  he  declared  "  there  was  no  counterfeit 
about  that  drunk ;  that  was  the  genuine  article. 
Do  you  think  I  don't  know  when  a  man  is  drunk? 
You  can't  cheat  me.  A  man  may  pitch  and  reel 
about  like  a  drunkard,  but  he  can't  make  his  eye 
drunk.  That  man's  eye  was  drunk.  Why,  I  stood 
close  to  him  when  he  was  fretting  about  the  beer, 
and  my  eye  wasn't  more  than  two  feet  from  his,  and 
that  eye  of  his  was  drunk.     You  can't  cheat  me." 

However,  when  Crane  found  that  it  was  really 
Dr.  Jewett,  and  that  he  could  not  make  his  own  cus- 
tomers believe  the  doctor  was  drunk,  he  contented 


ABANDONS  MEDICINE,  147 

himself  by  expressing  his  contempt  for  that  "  hum- 
bug of  a  lecturer,"  promising  to  "  lick  "  him  before 
he  left  Pawtucket  if  he  could  find  him.  The  doctor 
heard  of  it  the  next  forenoon,  and  he  walked  up  by 
Crane's  store  several  times ;  but  the  sold  vender  of 
strong  drink  made  no  demonstration. 

While  Dr.  Jewett  was  in  the  service  of  the  Rhode 
Island  Temperance  Society  he  spent  a  night  at  an 
hotel  in  Woonsocket.  As  usual,  he  "kept  his  eye 
open,"  studying  the  characters  of  parties  in  the  bar- 
room, some  of  whom  were  citizens  of  the  place. 
Between  nine  and  ten  o'clock  it  was  proposed  to 
"  crack  up  ;  "  which  the  doctor  found  to  be  a  method 
of  deciding  who  should  pay  for  drinks  for  the  com- 
pany. A  piece  of  coin  was  tossed  up,  and  the  case 
was  decided  by  its  falling  near  to  or  remote  from  a 
certain  crack.  The  doctor  was  a  silent  but  close 
observer  of  the  game,  and  he  was  a  stranger  to  all 
present.  The  impression  which  the  scene  made 
upon  his  mind  may  be  gathered  from  the  following 
lines  that  he  composed  before  retiring,  and  published 
in  the  local  paper  the  next  day : 

"  *  Crack  up  ! '  '  crack  up  ! '      The  clock  strikes  nine ; 
Wc  have  not  drank  for  half  an  hour  ; 
Say,  will  you  choose,  or  rum  or  wine, 
Or  brandy's  stimulating  power? 
Come,  fill  the  glass. 
And  let  it  pass. 
Till  sorrow,  care,  and  thought  are  gone, 
And  exiled  reason  quits  her  throne. 


i^S  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

"  Come,  jovial  boys,  '  crack  up  ! '  '  crack  up  ! ' 
And  fill  again  the  maddening  cup ! 
What  though  our  wives  sit  quite  alone, 
And  muse  on  hopes  and  pleasures  gone? 
Though  bitter  thoughts  their  bosoms  burn, 
And  while  they  wait  for  our  return. 

Let  all  that  pass, — 

Come,  fill  the  glass  ; 
We'll  drink  to  love  that  never  dies, 
Till  from  our  hearts  affection  flies. 

"  *  Crack  up  ! '  '  crack  up  ! '     Come,  fill  again 

The  accursed  cup  with  liquid  fire ; 
And  now  its  contents  let  us  drain 

To  sleeping  babes  and  hoary  sire  ; 
To  mother  dear,  though  drenched  in  tears, 
And  bending  with  the  weight  of  years. 

"  Bid  sorrow  flee. 
And  drink  with  glee, 
Though  babes  may  need  a  father's  care 
From  wretchedness  and  want  to  save. 
And  though  we  bring  the  time-bleached  hair 

Of  parents  sorrowing  to  the  grave. 
Come,  fill  again  the  accursed  cup. 
And  let  us  drain.     '  Crack  up  ! '  '  crack  up ! '  " 

No  temperance  lecture  or  sermon  had  ever  made 
so  deep  an  impression  in  Woonsocket,  at  that  time, 
as  this  poem.  It  set  many  respectable  people  to 
thinking,  and  actuall}^  brought  the  "  crack-up " 
game  into  bad  repute. 

About  this  time  the  doctor  was  in  another  part  of 
the  state,  when  he  observed,  over  the  bar,  at  the 


ABANDONS  MEDICINE.  149 

hotel  where  he  stopped  an  hour,  the  following  infor- 
mation : 

NO    CREDIT    GIVEN     HERE. 

It  was  just  the  thing  to  start  the  doctor  offupcn  a 
train  of  original  thought.  After  reflecting  a  few 
moments,  he  said  to  the  landlord,  pointing  to  the 
placard : 

"  I  see  that  you  bring  your  customers  right  up  to 
the  chalk,  and  don't  plague  yourself  with  book- 
keeping." 

"  Oh,  3^es,"  the  landlord  replied;  "in  the  sale  of 
liquors  these  days,  it  won't  do  to  give  credit.  If  you 
don't  get  your  pay  down  from  the  class  that  buy 
liquors  now,  3'ou  will  never  get  it." 

"I  think  you  are  right  there ^'^  remarked  the  doc- 
tor ;  "  but  you  might  add  a  few  words  that  would 
improve  your  inscription,  and  render  it  more  strik- 
ing and  impressive." 

"What  would  you  add?"  inquired  the  landlord 
with  apparent  interest. 

"Give  me  pen  and  paper,  and  I  will  show  you," 
replied  the  doctor. 

"Just  step  to  the  desk  within  the  bar,  and  you 
vvill  find  paper,  ink,  and  pen,"  he  answered. 

The  doctor  stepped  to  the  desk  and  wrote  out  the 
landlord's  notice  for  the  first  line  of  the  following 
verse,  and  added  three  other  lines  : 

"  *•  No    CREDIT  GIVEN  HERE  ;  * 

But  I  have  cause  to  fear 

That  there  *s  a  day-book  kept  in  Heaven, 

Where  charge  is  made  and  credit  given." 


150  LIFF  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT, 

The  doctor  returned  to  his  seat,  and  the  landlord 
went  to  the  desk,  and  read.  His  countenance 
changed,  though  he  was  not  enraged.  He  was 
silent  and  thoughtful.  Evidently  the  shot  struck  his 
conscience.  The  doctor  bade  him  "good-day,"  and 
departed,  without  another  word  on  either  side.* 

Dr.  Jewett's  connection  with  the  Rhode  Island 
Temperance  Society  was  brief.  It  was  a  period  of 
great  depression  in  business,  when  money  was 
scarce,  and  many  laborers  unemployed.  In  these 
circumstances  it  became  quite  impossible  to  raise 
money  to  prosecute  the  work.  Some  temperance 
men,  who  had  pledged  generous  amounts  in  the 
outset,  had  become  embarrassed,  and  could  not  re- 
deem their  pledges.  In  these  circumstances.  Dr. 
Jewett  resigned  at  the  end  of  a  year,  to  the  regret 
of  the  friends  of  temperance  throughout  New  Eng- 
land. His  purpose  was  to  return  to  the  practice  of 
medicine. 

His  reputation  as  a  physician  stood  high  in  Prov- 

*  One  day  Dr.  Jewett  wanted  to  send  a  letter  to  a  Dr.  Car- 
penter, of  Pawtucket,  living  on  the  Massachusetts  side  of  the 
river.  There  were  two  physicians  there  bearing  this  name,  one 
of  whom  sold  rum  with  his  drugs,  and  he  could  not  recall  the 
Christian  name  of  either  ;  so  he  superscribed  the  letter  thus  : 

"  Go,  little  packet ;  seek  the  home 
Of  Dr.  Carpenter,  Pawtucket ; 
Not  he  who  sells  New  England  rum 

To  the  poor  sots  who  love  and  suck  it, 
But  he  who  lends  a  helping  hand 
To  drive  intemperance  from  the  land 
Of  Massachusetts." 


ABANDONS  MEDICINE, 


151 


idence,  and  his  friends  besought  him  to  open  an 
office  in  that  city.  The  result  was  that  he  estab- 
lished himself  on  Christian  Hill,  hanging  out  his 
sign,  "Charles  Jewett,  M.  D." 

The  doctor  was  poor  now.  When  he  left  Centre- 
ville  he  had  hundreds  of  dollars  owing  to  him ;  but 
the  hard  times  had  shut  down  the  mills  and  thrown 
the  operatives  out  of  employment.  Not  a  dollar  of 
his  debts  could  he  collect.  Then,  he  had  received 
but  a  part  of  his  stipulated  salary  in  Rhode  Island ; 
and  he  had  labored  on,  economizing  even  to  scrimp- 
ing his  family,  without  making  known  his  actual 
necessities  to  friends.  To  add  to  his  distress,  he 
had  scarcely  renewed  his  practice  when  his  w4fe 
was  stricken  down  with  hemorrhage  of  the  lungs, 
and  for  months  lingered  on  the  brink  of  the  grave. 
At  length,  however,  she  rallied,  and  his  practice 
opened  encouragingly.  His  drug-shop  was  in  the 
house  'he  occupied ;  and  he  had  run  in  debt  for  the 
small  quantity  of  drugs  it  contained,  —  seventy 
dollars. 

We  should  have  called  attention  before  to  a  most 
interesting  episode  in  the  doctor's  life,  while  he  was 
temperance  agent.  He  represented  the  Rhode 
Island  Temperance  Society  in  a  very  large  tem- 
perance convention,  held  in  Boston  in  January, 
1839,  where  more  than  three  hundred  clergymen 
were  present.  Thinking  that  he  might  be  called 
upon  to  address  the  assembly,  he  prepared  a  poem> 
called  "  A  Dream  :  the  Rumsellers'  and  Rumdrink- 
ers'  Lamentation."     The  convention  continued  two 


152  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT. 

days,  and  on  the  evening  of  the  first  day  Dr.  Jew- 
ett  was  invited,  with  other  distinguished  advocates 
of  the  cause,  to  speak.  At  the  close  of  his  speech 
he  recited  his  poem,  in  which  he  personated  the 
irate  rumseller  and  boisterous  drunkard.  He  did  it 
so  exactly  "  to  nature  "  that  the  large  audience  were 
almost  wild  over  it.  They  shouted,  stamped  their 
feet,  and  clapped  their  hands ;  men  threw  up  their 
hats  and  women  waved  their  handkerchiefs  ;  report- 
ers dropped  their  pens  to  laugh  and  shout,  and  such 
a  scene  was  never  witnessed  in  Boston  before.  The 
Rev.  A.  W.  McClure,  a  prominent  Orthodox  cler- 
gyman, thus  describes  the  scene  in  the  "  Sons  of 
Temperance  Offering  " : 

"  We  have  seen  some  laughing  in  our  time,  but  decid- 
edly the  most  extravagant,  uproarious,  ecstatical  burst  we 
ever  witnessed  was  at  Dr.  Jewett's  recital  of  his  poem, 
'  The  Rumsellers'  and  Rumdrinkers'  Lamentation,'  as 
given  at  the  great  convention  held  January,  1839,  at  the 
Marlboro'  chapel  in  Boston.  In  reading  this  effusion  in 
cool  blood,  at  this  distance  of  time,  and  under  great  change 
of  circumstances,  it  is  difficult  to  see  anything  about  it  suf- 
ficient to  cause  that  deafening  cachinatory  explosion  and 
its  long-sounding  reverberations.  But  at  that  time,  when 
the  '  fifteen  gallon  law'  was  in  all  its  glory,  the  satire  was 
most  ticklishly  apropos^  and  never  did  ridicule  seem 
keener  or  more  free  from  venom.  Above  all,  the  doctor's 
delivery  justified  what  the  ancient  rhetoricians  have  said 
of  the  importance  and  effectiveness  of  manner.  The  whole 
densely  crowded  audience  was  thrown  into  a  paroxysm  of 
laughter  such  as  can  never  be  exceeded  in  the  same  length 
of  time.     The  fat  man  rolled  in  his  seat  like  a  pudding  in 


ABANDONS  MEDICINE. 


153 


a  boiling  pot.  The  lean  man  doubled  up  into  a  haid 
knot,  then  threw  himself  back  in  a  rigid  spasm,  and  at  last 
twisted  himself  into  a  corkscrew,  undergirding  his  poor 
ribs  with  both  hands  to  keep  himself  from  being  shaken  to 
pieces.  The  tremendous  roar  burst  up  into  yells  of  delight 
and  shrieks  of  orgastic  merriment.  When  the  most  furi- 
ous stamping  and  clapping  seemed  too  tame  an  expression 
of  applause,  men  seized  hold  of  each  other  and  exchanged 
mutual  thumps  of  congratulation.  Even  grave  doctors  of 
divinity  took  to  thwacking  the  pew-rails  with  their  stout 
walking-staves,  leaving  lasting  mementos  of  their  uncon- 
trollable mirth.  For  many  a  day  after  that  did  the  inter- 
costal muscles  of  the  company  retain  the  sorest  reminis- 
cences of  that  season  of  unparalleled  drollery.  We  never 
expect  to  see  the  equal  of  it,  nor  do  we  wish  to  ;  one  such 
laughing-spell  is  enough  for  a  lifetime,  and  affords  '  a  joy 
for  memory.' " 

In  the  poem  the  rumseller  began  his  "  Lamenta- 
tion "  thus : 

"Alas  !   for  the  days  of  our  glory  are  past. 
And  the  long-dreaded  evil  has  reached  us  at  last ; 
We  must  now  our  respectable  traffic  give  o'er, 
For  our  license  is  out,  nor  can  we  get  more." 

The  boisterous  drunkard  began  his  wail  as  fol- 
lows : 

"  Nabers  and  frinds  !  and  can  this  be  ! 
And  shall  we  be  no  longer  free  .'* 
Say,  has  the  time,  long  dreaded,  come, 
When  we  can't  have  one  drop  ofrum?" 

We  have  not  space  for  liberal  extracts  from  the 


154  ^^^^   ^^    CHARLES  JEWETT, 

poem.  We  should  say,  however,  that  representa- 
tives of  tlie  press,  who  were  present,  obtained  a  copy 
of  it,  !md  it  was  published  in  several  Boston  papers; 
and  it  was  issued,  also,  in  a  sheet,  which  the  news- 
boys sold  on  the  street,  crying,  "  Buy  a  *  Lamenta- 
tion ' !  Buy  a  '  Lamentation  ' !  "  In  this  way  the 
production  had  a  wide  circulation. 

In  the  winter  of  1840,  at  the  time  to  which  we 
have  referred,  when  Mrs.  Jewett  was  convalescent, 
the  doctor  received  an  invitation  to  prepare  a  poem 
for  another  temperance  convention  in  Boston.  The 
invitation  was  urgent  from  a  committee  of  leading 
temperance  men.  Deacon  Moses  Grant  chairman. 
The  doctor  decided  at  once  not  to  accept  the  invita- 
tion.    His  wife  urged  him  to  go. 

"  Impossible  !  "  replied  the  doctor.  "  I  cannot 
spare  the  time.  I  have  that  bill  of  seventy  dollars 
for  drugs  to  pay  in  four  weeks,  and  I  must  bestir 
myself  and  raise  the  money,  which  I  cannot  do  if  I 
sit  down  to  write  poems." 

Mrs.  Jewett  suggested  that  he  might  be  paid 
something  for  the  labor.  At  any  rate  she  was  im- 
pressed that  God  would  provide  some  way  to  pay 
the  SEVENTY  dollars ;  it  was  best  for  him  to  trust  in 
Providence,  and  do  the  work.  Her  plea  was  suc- 
ceijsful,  and  he  hastened  to  write  the  poem,  which 
he  did  not  complete  till  the  evening  before  the  con- 
vention. The  last  eighteen  lines  he  wrote  on  that 
evening,  in  Deacon  Grant's  parlor,  Boston.  The 
convention  was  to  continue  two  days,  with  a  rousing 
meeting  on  the  evening  of  each  day.     The  doctor's 


ABANDONS  MEDICINE.  153 


poem  was  advertised  for  the  first  evening.  The 
audience  on  that  evening  numbered  three  thousand, 
in  which  were  several  hundred  clergymen,  presided 
over  by  Hon.  John  Tappan.  The  reader  will  under- 
stand how  the  vast  assembly  received  the  poetiCwil 
plea  for  temperance,  when  he  learns  that,  as  soon  as 
the  doctor  concluded,  a  gentleman  in  the  audience 
arose  and  inquired  if  the  poem  could  be  printed  so 
that  delegates  could  secure  copies  some  time  during 
the  following  day.  Deacon  Grant  immediately 
pledged  the  audience  that  the  poem  should  be  print- 
ed during  the  night,  and  be  ready  for  sale  at  ten 
o'clock  the  next  day,  — the  time  the  convention 
would  assemble. 

Rev.  T.  P.  Hunt  ("Father  Hunt,"  as  he  was 
called),  the  celebrated  advocate  of  temperance,  was 
present,  and  he  said  : 

"  Mr.  President,  I  am  glad  the  poem  is  to  be  printed.  I 
think  it  is  worthy  of  pubhcation,  and  hope,  when  printed, 
that  the  delegates  present  will  buy,  not  a  single  copy  each, 
but  half  a  dozen  each,  to  distribute  among  their  friends, 
and  that  they  will  be  willing  to  pay  a  good  price  for  them  ; 
and,  in  that  case,  perhaps  our  friend,  the  doctor,  will  ob- 
tain some  reward  for  his  labor  more  substantial  than  the 
thanks  of  this  honorable  body." 

The  doctor  concluded  reading  the  proof-sheet  of 
the  poem  about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  at 
the  assembling  of  the  convention,  at  ten  o'clock  the 
following  morning.  Rev.  L.  D.  Johnson,  of  Rhode 
Island,  offered   it   for  sale.      Over  twelve  hundred 


156  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

copies  were  sold :  and  when  the  net  profits  were 
counted  out  and  handed  to  Dr.  Jewett,  there  were 
just  SEVENTY  DOLLARS.  We  suspcct  that  his 
thoughts  were  of  his  wife  and  Divine  Providence 
when  he  pocketed  the  money. 

The  poem  contained  about  five  hundred  hues, 
and  made  a  pamphlet  of  nearly  sixteen  pages.  It 
was  1  clear-cut  use  of  the  salient  points  of  the 
cause,  of  which  the  following  paragraph  is  a 
sample : 

*'  Say  ye  that  vice  and  wrong  must  be  o'erthrown 
By  the  persuasive  power  of  truth  alone? 
Then  act  consistent,  and  throw  down  the  rod 
Of  penal  law;  let  murder  stalk  abroad 
Free  o'er  the  land,  with  none  to  make  afraid ; 
Be  the  assassin's  upraised  hand  unstayed  ; 
Strike  from  your  statutes  every  virtuous  law 
That  can  protect  the  innocent,  and  awe 
The  stern  transgressor  with  its  penalty, 
That  vice  may  riot  unrestrained  and  free. 
Draw  out  the  felon  from  his  dungeon  cell, 
With  his  red  torch,  that  midnight  fires  may  tell 
Where  falls  his  smothered  vengeance  on  your  land ; 
And  when  you  see  him  lift  the  flaming  brand, 
To  deal  destruction  on  your  own  fair  halls, 
Fold  up  your  arms,  and  as  the  ruin  falls, 
Beseech  him  calmly  to  desist,  because 
He  errs  against  the  spirit  of  your  laws, 
And  with  their  '  general  end  ; '  but  yet  are  these 
'Enforced  by  no  specific  penalties.' 
Ye  hypocrites  !     Ye  slaves  o^ place  and  time  I 
Ye  dare  not  thus  unfetter  every  crime  ; 


ABANDONS  MEDICINE. 


157 


Yc  hold  a  halter  for  the  wretch  who  slays 
His  fellow-man  in  aught  but  legal  ways ; 
The  thief  who  robs  you  of  your  worldly  store, 
For  him  ye  bolt  the  prison's  iron  door; 
Say,  why  inflict  your  stripes  on  these,  and  save, 
'  Unwhipt  of  justice,'  the  still  blacker  knave?  " 

The  "Journal  of  the  American  Temperance  Union," 
published  in  New  York  city,  said  of  Dr.  Jewett  and 
this  poem  : 

"  Dr.  Jewett  is  making  himself  in  various  vvays  one 
of  the  most  useful  advocates  of  the  temperance 
cause.  When  wit  is  needed  he  has  it  at  command  ; 
and  when  sober  argument  is  the  proper  weapon  he 
is  not  deficient.  His  former  poetic  effusions  have 
been  highly  comic  and  sarcastic.  This  is  neat, 
chaste,  and  sober.  Some  parts  of  tiie  poem  are  very 
beautiful  and  touching." 

A  few  weeks  after  the  delivery^  of  this  poem.  Dr. 
Jewett  was  invited  to  act  as  agent  of  the  Massachu- 
setts Temperance  Union,  — a  wider  field  and  graver 
responsibilities  than  ever. 

The  reader  may  well  imagine  that  this  new  call 
must  have  perplexed  the  doctor  considerably.  He 
had  regretfully  but  honestly  abandoned  the  lecture- 
field  and  returned  to  his  chosen  profession.  A  wide 
door  seemed  to  be  opened  to  him  for  medical  prac- 
tice. Many  friends  rejoiced  to  see  him  reinstated  in 
his  old  pursuit.  Then,  too,  he  had  been  disappointed 
in  pecuniary  support.  By  sad  experience  he  had 
learned  that  philanthropic  labors,  if  appreciated, 
were  not  remunerative.     Would  he  have  a  similar 


158  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

experience  in  the  new  field  to  which  he  was  called? 
He  could  scarcely  help  asking  this  question.  How- 
ever much  he  loved  the  cause,  and  whatever  sacri- 
fice he  was  willing  to  make,  such  thoughts  and 
inquiries  as  these  were  inevitable.  That  he  was 
perplexed  cannot  be  denied.  The  sequel  will  show, 
however,  that  all  doubts  soon  vanished  before  the 
brightening  prospect  of  blessing  the  fallen  and 
saving  the  tempted. 


CALL    TO  MASSACHUSETTS. 


159 


IX. 

CALL  TO   ]\L\SSACHUSETTS. 

THE  large  humanity  of  Dr.  Jewett  caused  him 
to  abandon  the  practice  of  medicine,  with  the 
prospect  of  weahh  and  position,  the  second  time,  for 
the  temperance-lecture  field.  More  men  were  adapt- 
ed to  the  former  than  to  the  latter,  and  more  were 
inclined  to  adopt  it.  At  this  point,  the  appeal  of 
suffering  humanity  touched  his  heart,  and  he  was 
not  long  in  deciding  to  accept  the  proposition  from 
Massachusetts.  The  cry  of  the  fatherless  and  the 
widow  stirred  his  soul,  and  he  could  not  decline. 

The  doctor  was  poor  —  too  poor  to  move  his 
family  to  Massachusetts  ;  yes,  too  poor  to  pay  his 
honest  debts.  He  resolved  to  sell  every  article  of 
furniture  and  other  property,  that  would  command 
a  fractional  part  of  its  value,  that  he  might  pay  his 
debts,  send  his  family  to  board  with  relatives  in  Con- 
necticut, and  when,  with  his  salary  of  twelve  hun- 
dred dollars  and  expenses  promised,  he  was  able,  to 
set  up  house-keeping  again  in  the  Bay  State.  The 
doctor  shall  tell  the  story  in  his  own  words. 

"  My  personal  property,  even  furniture,  the  gift  of  rela« 
lives  to  my  wife  before  her  marriage,  was,  at  her  request, 
sent  to  the  auction-room   and   soUl,  that  the  avails  might 


l6o  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

aid  in  paying  debts  which  I  had  contracted  while  serving 
the  cause  of  temperance.  The  time  for  the  commence- 
ment of  my  labor  in  Massachusetts  had  arrived,  and  yet, 
after  employing  all  available  means,  I  was  unable  to  pay 
all  my  debts  before  leaving. 

"  That  was  a  gloomy  hour.  I  went  down  to  old  India 
Point  to  take  the  cars  for  Boston,  and  reached  the  depot 
twenty  minutes  in  advance  of  the  time  of  starting.  I  had 
this  time  to  ruminate.  In  connection  with  the  practice  of 
my  profession,  and  as  a  laborer  in  a  great  work  of  reform, 
I  had  served  the  state  faithfully  for  ten  years,  and  now 
must  leave  it,  with  a  wife  and  four  children  to  care  for, 
with  but  little  more  money  than  would  pay  my  fare  to  a 
new  field  of  labor.  I  paced  the  platform,  and  presently 
extended  my  walk  along  the  piles  of  w^qpd  near  by,  and 
for  a  moment  I  was  quite  unmanned.  I  may  as  well  con- 
fess it:  the  boy  Charles  Jevvett  got  the  better  of  the  man. 
I  sat  down  behind  the  pile  of  wood,  and  wept." 

If  wit  or  pleasantry  did  not  come  to  his  aid  before 
the  cars  started,  then  it  is  the  only-  strait  we  have 
found  him  in  powerless  and  disconsolate.  It  should 
be  said,  however,  that  the  bare  intimation  of  his  sit- 
uation to  friends  in  Providence  would  have  brought 
immediate  assistance ;  but  he  kept  that  to  himself. 

On  that  very  night  Dr.  Jewett  began  his  labors  in 
Massachusetts  by  lecturing  in  Dedham  before  a 
large  audience.  As  he  expressed  it,  "  I  got  another 
fair  opportunity  to  assail  the  wicked  system  I  had 
long  been  fighting,  and  in  the  labor  forgot  personal 
griefs  and  embarrassments." 

Three  things  rendered  Dr.  Jewett's  removal  to 
Massachusetts,  in  April,  1840,  peculiarly  interesting. ' 


CALL    TO  MASSACHUSETTS.  r6l 

First,  the  violent  mobocratic  opposition  to  the  anti- 
slavery  and  temperance  movements  had  spent  itself. 
The  spirit  that  dragged  Garrison  through  the  streets 
of  Boston,  with  a  rope  about  his  neck,  in  1835,  incar- 
cerated Rev.  George  B.Cheever  in  Salem  jail,  and 
drove  Rev.  John  Pierpont  from  his  pulpit,  had  been 
exorcised,  though  it  still  hovered  about  instead  of 
going  into  the  swine.  Second,  the  leaders  of  the 
temperance  cause  were  the  noblest  men  of  the  times, 
many  of  them  giants  in  intellect  and  personal  influ- 
ence. The  mention  of  the  names  of  many  of  them 
will  even  now  aw^aken  precious  memories  of  the  early 
struggles  of  the  temperance  cause:  Sargent,  Pier- 
pont, Dr.  Beecher,  Rantoul,  Crosby,  Hoar,  Gray, 
Dr.  Channing,  Hilliard,  Sears,  Dr.  Ide,  Mann, 
Jackson,  Bond,  Alden,  Huntington,  Fletcher,  Lor- 
ing,  Mellen,  Bowles,  Walker,  Tappan,  Drs.  Ed- 
wards, Gannett,  Pierce,  Jenks,  Perry,  Ware,  Kirk, 
and  Ballon  ;  Grant,  Hallett,  Bartlett,  Lawrence, 
May,  Spooner,  Thompson,  Saffbrd,  Palmer,  Dam- 
rell,  and  many  others,  were  numbered  among  the 
prominent  workers  then.  Judge  Nathan  Crosby,  of 
Lowell,  was  secretary  of  the  Massachusetts  Tem- 
perance Union,  that  invited  Dr.  Jewett  to  the  state, 
and  John  Tappan  was  president.  No  temperance 
agent  ever  had  an  opportunity  to  associate  with  such 
a  band  of  intelligent  and  able  leaders,  before  or 
since. 

Third,  the  clamor    against   the  License  System, 
begun  five  years  before,  culminated  in  the  passage 
of  the  so-called  "  Fifteen  Gallon   Law,"  in  April, 
II 


l62  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

1838,  under  which  no  party  licensed  could  sell  less 
than  fifteen  gallons  at  once.  This,  of  course,  was 
indirect  prohibition,  and  it  created  the  greatest  ex- 
citement. The  liquor-sellers  were  violent  against 
the  measure,  and  their  servile  patrons  joined  them 
in  the  most  resolute  opposition.  They  set  them- 
selves to  work,  sparing  neither  money  nor  labor,  to 
repeal  the  law.  In  1839  they  found  a  tool  in  Mar- 
cus Morton,  who  professed  to  be  a  temperance 
man,  and  had  been  president  of  the  Massachusetts 
Temperance  Society.  He  consented  to  be  the  can- 
didate for  governor  of  the  liquor  party,  thus  selling 
his  birthright  for  this  "  mess  of  pottage."  He  was 
elected  to  the  office,  and  the  aforesaid  law  was  re- 
pealed in  the  early  part  of  the  session  of  the  legis- 
lature, in  1840. 

The  repeal  of  the  law  left  the  state  of  affairs  as  it 
was  before  its  passage  in  1838,  namely,  the  power 
to  grant  liquor  licenses  was  vested  in  the  county  com- 
missioners ;  and  in  some  counties  the  commissioners 
refused  to  grant  licenses.  Hence,  in  some  localities 
practical  prohibition  was  tried  before  the  "Fifteen 
Gallon  Law  "  was  enacted. 

Immediately  after  the  repeal  of  the  law,  the  friends 
of  temperance  commenced  a  campaign  to  secure  the 
election  of  temperance  county  commissioners  who 
would  not  grant  licenses.  Dr.  Jewett  removed  to 
Massachusetts  just  in  time  to  engage  in  that  cam- 
paign. Nor  could  he  have  found  a  work  more  con- 
genial to  his  taste.  He  was  in  advance  of  many 
temperance  leaders  in  his  views  of  prohibition.     He 


CALL    TO  MASSACHUSETTS.  103 

had  publicly  declared,  again  and  again,  that  the 
only  consistent  and  righteous  course  was  to  frohihit 
the  traffic.  The  election  of  county  commissioners 
who  would  grant  no  licenses  was  next  to  absolute 
prohibition,  in  the  circumstances  ;  so  that  he  engaged 
in  the  exciting  canvass  with  all  his  heart.  It  was 
about  the  first  dash  of  wit  and  humor  the  cause  had 
received,  and  a  livelier  time  than  Dr.  Jewett's  au- 
diences had,  the  temperance  people  never  enjoyed. 

One  incident  occurred  at  Dedham  under  the  "  Fif- 
teen Gallon  Law,"  which  Dr.  Jewett  turned  to  good 
account.  At  a  military  muster  in  that  town,  a  rum- 
seller  pitched  his  tent,  on  which,  in  large  letters, 
was  advertised  "The  Striped  Pig, — Admittance 
Six  Cents."  He  had  striped  a  pig  with  paint  from 
snout  to  tail,  giving  it  the  appearance  of  a  zebra,  as 
a  device  to  evade  the  law.  Men  paid  six  cents  to 
see  the  animal,  and  a  glass  of  rum  was  given  to 
each  patron.  While  the  liquor  fraternity  were 
chuckling  over  this  shrewd  evasion  of  the  law,  as 
they  thought,  the  sheriff  of  the  county  arrested  the 
proprietor,  and  seized  his  pig,  tent,  rum,  and  all, 
and  carried  them  off  the  ground.  The  anti-temper- 
ance press  spread  the  news  of  the  "Striped  Pig" 
affair  over  the  country,  commenting  upon  it  as  a 
^apital  thing,  and  creating  all  the  merriment  possi- 
ble over  it.  Dr.  Jew^ett  learned  of  it,  and  just  before 
his  removal  from  Rhode  Island  he  drew  a  picture  of 
the  scene,  which  was  given  to  the  public  in  a  litho- 
graphic print,  entitled,  "Death  of  the  Striped 
Pig."     His  design  was  to  convey  by  the  print   an 


164  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

idea  of  the  state  of  the  temperance  cause  at  that 
time,  and  Nast  himself  could  not  have  done  the 
work  better.  Thousands  of  them  were  sold  and  cir- 
culated in  Massachusetts  and  other  states.  They 
were  posted  in  shops  and  stores,  on  board  fences 
and  big  trees ;  and  for  many  years  copies  were 
found  in  different  parts  of  New  England.  The 
effect  of  it  was  amusement  and  instruction,  exerting 
an  influence  for  the  cause  wider  and  greater  than 
that  of  any  one  temperance  advocate.  People  were 
on  tiptoe  to  see  the  author  of  "The  Death  of  the 
Striped  Pig ;  "  nor  did  they  listen  to  him  long  before 
they  said  within  themselves,  "Just  the  man  to  get 
up  such  a  capital  thing." 

About  the  same  time,  also,  the  doctor  sketched 
and  published  another  lithograph,  representing  rum- 
sellers  catching  men.  A  pond  was  the  chief  object 
of  interest,  around  which  the  rumsellers  gathered 
with  fish-poles  and  lines,  their  hooks  baited  with 
bottles  of  rum,  to  catch  men.  He  employed  these 
illustrations,  as  he  wrote  temperance  poems,  to  do 
good.  Under  the  circumstances,  he  believed  that 
it  was  one  important  method  of  awakening  public 
attention,  and  causing  people  to  stop  and  reflect. 

One  of  the  first  things  that  Dr.  Jewett  sought  to 
accomplish  was  to  place  the  Massachusetts  Tem- 
perance Union,  whose  agent  he  was,  upon  a  sound 
"financial  basis."  In  addition  to  salaries,  the  soci- 
ety needed  monej/-  for  a  liberal  distribution  of  tem- 
perance literature,  in  which  method  of  usefulness 
Dr.  Jewett  thoroughly  believed.     The  society  was 


CALL   TO  MASSACHUSETTS.  165 

publishing  the  "  Temperance  Journal,"  and  "Tem- 
perance Almanac,"  (monthly  sheets;)  the  latter  de- 
signed for  the  young.  In  addition  to  these,  the 
"Tract  "was  issued  occasionally,  containing  val- 
uable temperance  speeches.  To  give  these  publi- 
cations, together  with  the  usual  temperance  tract, 
a  general  circulation,  much  money  was  needed. 
The  doctor  proposed  that  the  State  be  canvassed  for 
members  to  the  "  Union,"  who  should  pay  into  its 
treasury  one  dollar  or  more  annually,  and  that  each 
lecturer  should  test  the  practicability  of  the  measure 
by  pressing  it  upon  the  attention  of  the  people, 
though  other  agents  might  be  employed  specially 
for  collecting  money  on  that  plan.  Each  contrib- 
utor of  one  dollar  should  receive  a  copy  of  the 
"  Temperance  Journal "  gratuitously. 

Dr.  Jewett's  "  Plan  "  was  unanimously  adopted ; 
and  the  success  of  it  may  be  learned  from  the  result 
of  his  labors.  The  first  month  he  obtained  seven 
hundred  and  sixty  dollars  from  seven  hundred  and 
fifteen  members,  and  thirty-three  donors — the  latter 
being  persons  who  would  not  sign  the  pledge  of  the 
"Union,"  but  would  pay  one  dollar  each,  and 
receive  its  publication.  The  second  month  he  added 
ov^r  four  hundred  members. 

A  little  more  than  a  year  from  the  time  this  "  Plan  " 
was  adopted,  the  "  Washingtonian  Movement,"  in- 
augurated by  John  Hawkins  and  his  coadjutors  of 
Baltimore,  so  absorbed  public  attention  and  diverted 
funds  to  its  own  support,  as  to  nearly  exhaust  the 
treasur}^  of  the  "Union."     Mr.  Crosby,  the  popular 


l66  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

and  efficient  editor  of  its  publications,  said,  in  July, 
1842: 

"  Our  plan  was  favorably  received,  and  our  agents  were 
carrying  it  forward  with  all  practicable  dispatch  through  the 
State.  Under  it,  the  circulation  of  the  'Journal '  had  risen 
to  nearly  twenty-five  thousand  copies  monthly  ;  the  'Alnia- 
nac  '  and  '  Tract'  to  twenty  thousand  more.  More  than  six 
thousand  members  and  donors  had  been  obtained,  the  '  Cold 
Water  Army  '  paper  established,  and  the  whole  operation 
of  i)anners,  badges,  songs,  &c.,  gotten  up.  The  commit- 
tee and  friends,  who  had  watched  with  much  interest  and 
care  the  successful  influence  of  the  plan,  were  buoyant 
with  hope  that  we  were  now  to  have  a  somewhat  more 
systematic  and  permanent  effort  in  our  great  enterprise 

than  had  ever  before  been  made  in  the  State We 

cannot  with  integrity  conceal  the  cause  of  our  embarrass- 
ment. We  should  be  false  to  the  cause  and  to  ourselves 
were  we  longer  to  remain  silent  upon  a  matter  of  such 
vital  importance  to  both.  .  .  .  The  answer  to  our  calls 
for  accustomed  aid  comes  up  from  most  of  our  towns, — 
*  We  are  doing  so  much  for  the  Washingtonians,  you 
must  excuse  us  this  year.'  " 

The  doctor's  labors  were  highly  appreciated,  and 
within  six  months  his  salary  was  raised  to  fifteen 
hundred  dollars  and  expenses.  He  removed  his 
family  to  Massachusetts,  residing  at  Ashland  for  a 
time,  but  removing  in  the  spring  of  1842  to  the 
village  then  called- "  Newton  Corner,"  but  now 
"  Newton,*'  as  distinguished  from  the  other  divisions 
of  the  city  of  Newton,  where  he  Vv^as  more  con- 
venient to  the  Boston  headquarters. 

The  pecuniary  resources  of  the  "  Union  "  became 


CALL   TO  MASSACHUSETTS. 


167 


so  diminished  by  the  "  Washingtonian  Movement," 
and  still  later  by  the  advent  of  the  "  Sons  of  Tem- 
perance," that  Mr.  Crosby  withdrew  from  the  soci- 
ety, to  the  deep  regret  of  the  temperance  public. 
From  that  time  the  editorial  management  of  the 
"  Union's  "  publications  was  committed  to  Dr.  Jewett, 
though  he  still  continued  his  labors  in  the  lecture  field. 

At  one  time  the  treasury  of  the  society  which  Dr. 
Jewett  served  was  exhausted,  and  the  Executive 
Committee  were  devising  ways  to  replenish  it. 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  the  doctor,  ''  give  me  your  sub- 
scription-book and  proper  authority,  and  I  will  go 
abroad  to-morrow  among  your  fellow-citizens,  and 
get  you  some  money." 

"That  would  be  too  bad," replied  one  of  the  com- 
mittee, "to  subject  3'ou  to  the  necessity  of  public 
speaking  evenings,  and  begging  in  the  day-time." 

"  Nevertheless  it  is  honest,"  responded  the  doctor  ; 
"  and  I  am  willing  to  perform  any  kind  of  service 
for  the  temperance  cause  which  a  man  may,  and  not 
do  violence  to  his  conscience." 

So  the  subscription-book  was  given  to  the  doctor, 
one  gentleman  remarking  : 

"  You  will  need  a  list  of  the  names  of  such  per- 
sons as  will  be  likely  to  aid  our  cause." 

''Never  mind  that,"  replied  Dr.  Jewett ;  "I  shall 
find  out  v/ho  are  friendly.  I  intend  to  take  the  places 
of  business  on  the  streets  I  shall  visit,  in  course, 
and  if  I  happen  to  drop  in  upon  those  not  friendly 
to  the  enterprise,  I  will  endeavor  to  make  them  so." 

The  next  morning  the  doctor  began  his  collectingf 


l68  L^FE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT 

tour  at  the  head  of  Washington  Street,  and  found 
onl}^  friends  to  the  cause  in  the  first  few  places  of 
business.  At  length  he  reached  a  hat-store,  where 
he  met  with  a  different  reception ;  and  his  tact,  hu- 
mor, and  logic,  in  dealing  with  the  man,  are  very 
interesting  and  instructive. 

"I  am  raising . money  for  the  temperance  cause," 
said  the  doctor,  addressing  the  hatter  politely,  and 
passing  the  subscription-book  to  him. 

"  I  have  no  interest  in  the  cause,  and  I  have  noth- 
ing to  give,"  answered  the  halter,  rather  coldly. 

"  What,  sir  !  "  exclaimed  the  doctor,  assuming  an 
air  of  surprise,  "  did  I  understand  3^ou  to  say  that 
you  were  not  aware  of  having  any  interest  in  the 
subject  I  have  presented  to  you?  " 

'^Yes,  that  was  what  I  said,"  replied  the  hatter. 

"Well,  sir,"  continued  the  doctor,  with  one  of  his 
blandest  smiles,"!  am  sorry  to  hear  that;  for  it 
affords  me  evidence  that  you  are  not  acquainted 
with  your  own  business." 

This  was  "pushing  plainness  of  speech  to  the 
verge  of  impudence,"  as  the  doctor  said  afterwards. 

"  If  you  are  better  acquainted  with  my  business 
than  I  am,"  answered  the  man  with  considerable 
spirit,  "  I  will  take  lessons  of  you." 

"I  have  no  doubt  that  I  am,  in  this  matter,"  added 
the  doctor,  with  more  of  his  seeming  impudence ; 
"  and  if  you  please,  I  will  proceed  to  instruct  you 
forthwith." 

Probably,  after  all,  the  doctor  did  not  appear  so 


CALL    TO  MASSACHUSETTS.  169 

impudent  as  his  language  implied,  for  here  the  hat- 
ter laughed  him  in  his  face. 

"  Well,"  continued  the  doctor,  "you  deal  in  hats, 
and  intend  to  make  a  little  money  on  every  hat  you 
sell?" 

"Yes." 

"  Whatever  sends  additional  customers  to  your 
counter,  and  increases  their  ability  to  purchase,  pro- 
motes your  interest,  does  it  not?  " 

"  Certainly." 

"  Whatever  destroys  men's  ability  to  purchase,  and 
makes  them  content  to  wear  old,  worn-out  hats,  does 
your  craft  an  injury,  does  it  not?  " 

"Very  true." 

"  Well,  sir,  if  you  and  I  were  to  walk  out  an  hour 
or  two  through  the  streets  and  lanes,  and  along  the 
whai-ves  of  the  city,  we  should  see  scores  of  men 
wnth  old,  miserable,  slouched  hats  on  their  heads, — 
hats  which  ought,  years  ago,  to  have  been  thrown 
into  the  dock  or  the  fire.  Now,  sir,  what  hinders 
those  men  that  they  do  not  condemn  the  old  head- 
dress, and  walk  up  to  your  counter  and  purchase 
ii  hat  from  your  extensive  assortment?  " 

"That  is  not  a  difficult  question  to  answer,"  replied 
the  hatter.     "  The  men  are  too  poor  to  buy  a  hat." 

"  Very  true,  sir.  But  what,  in  your  opinion,  made 
the  mass  of  tiiem  so  poor  that  they  cannot  buy  a 
decent  hat ;  and  has  so  far  crushed  their  self-respect 
that  they  are  content  to  sport  old  concerns,  whose 
rims  have  been  torn  half  off,  and  whose  crowns  flap 


170  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT. 

up  and  down  as  they  walk,  like  the  air-valve  of  the 
blacksmith's  bellows?  " 

"Well,  I  do  not— " 

"  Mold  !  "  exclaimed  the  doctor,  interrupting  ;  "  do 
not  say,  I  beg  you,  that  you  do  not  know  ;  but  think 
a  minute." 

Bursting  into  a  loud  laugh,  the  hatter  replied  '. 

"Well,  sir,  if  you  must  have  it,  I  suppose  it  was 
the  work  of  rum." 

"Exactly  so,  sir.  I  thought  you  would  see  the 
subject  in  the  right  light  with  a  very  little  assistance 
and  reflection.  And  now,  do  you  not  begin  to  dis- 
cover that  you  made  a  mistake  when  you  asserted 
that  you  had  no  interest  in  the  subject  of  temperance? 
There  are  thousands  of  poor  topers  and  tipplers  in 
this  city  who  expend  every  cent  they  get,  beyond 
what  purchases  the  bread  that  feeds  them,  at  the 
dramshops ;  and  you  will  never  get  any  patronage 
from  them  unless  they  become  sober  men.  But,  sir, 
let  one  of  them  go  up  to  Washingtonian  Hall,  sign 
the  temperance  pledge,  take  the  good  counsel  which 
will  there  be  given  him,  and  live  up  to  the  principle 
and  practice  of  total  abstinence,  and  he  will  not 
wear  the  old  slouched  hat  eight  weeks.  \ihe  cannot 
command  means  to  improve  his  dress,  means  will  be 
furnished  by  interested  friends.  He  will  go  to  a 
clothing-store  and  purchase  new  garments,  and  then 
walk  up  to  your  store  and  buy  a  new  hat.  You 
will  put  the  profits  of  the  trade  in  your  pocket  — 
gains  which  you  never  would  have  received  but  foi 
the  temperance  efforts  of  some  of  your  fellow-citi- 


CALL    TO  MASSACHUSETTS.  171 

zens.  And  when  I  call  on  you  and  ask  for  a  trifle 
to  aid  the  temperance  cause,  you  will,  perhaps,  give 
me  the  cold  shoulder,  and  tell  me  you  are  not  aware 
of  having  any  interest  in  the  subject." 

The  hatter  was  conquered.  He  gave  the  doctor 
one  dollar  for  the  cause,  remarking : 

"  I  never  sa  w  the  subject  in  the  light  you  have 
presented  it  before." 

Dr.  Jewett  always  profited  by  observation  and 
experience,  and  he  made  great  use  of  this  incident. 
A  Unitarian  clergyman  says  that  he  heard  the  doc- 
tor use  it  with  great  powder  in  Minnesota,  fifteen 
years  or  more  after  it  transpired,  fixing  the  lesson 
of  his  address  indelibly  in  the  minds  of  his  hear- 
ers. 

Another  incident,  illustrative  of  the  doctor's  tact 
and  efficiency,  occurred  on  this  wise.  One  day  he 
dropped  into  the  store  of  Joseph  Breck,  a  stanch 
friend  of  temperance,  where  he  met  a  citizen  of  Dor- 
chester. As  the  latter  gentleman  was  not  a  friend 
of  temperance,  Mr.  Breck  managed  to  get  him 
into  conversation  with  the  doctor  upon  the  subject 
without  an  introduction.  The  way  was  soon  fairly 
open,  for  the  man  confessed  in  the  outset,  '^  I  drink 
gin  daily,  think  of  it  as  you  will." 

He  urged  the  common  arguments  in  favor  of  mod- 
erate drinking,  and  the  doctor  replied  to  them  so 
triumphantly,  that  the  drinker  felt  he  was  driven  to 
the  wall,  and  he  lost  his  temper,  and  declared  that 
'■  the  whole  host  of  professed  temperance  men  are 
hypocrites,  who  drink  behind  the  door." 


172  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT. 

"  Hold  on,  sir,"  responded  Dr.  Jewett.  "  You  are 
an  old  man,  and  I  comparatively  a  young  one,  and 
in  this  discussion  I  have  endeavored  to  treat  you 
with  that  respect  vv^hich  is  due  to  age ;  and  however 
sharp  you  may  be  on  me,  I  shall  not  reply  in  kind. 
But  I  shall  defend  my  temperance  friends  from  your 
charge  of  hypocrisy,  for  we  have  many  men  in  our 
ranks  as  aged  and  respectable  as  yourself." 

''Well,  do  as  you  like,"  he  retorted;  "you  have 
my  opinion.  You  are  all  a  set  of  hypocrites;  you 
drink  behind  the  door." 

Dr.  Jewett  met  him  squarely  here,  and  challenged 
him  to  compare  the  temperance  party  and  the  drink 
party.  He  arrayed  before  him  the  churches.  Sab- 
bath schools.  Christian  men  and  women,  the  clergy, 
and  benevolent  people  engaged  in  the  best  enter- 
prises, as  on  the  temperance  side  ;  and,  on  the  other, 
(after  conceding  that  there  was  a  class  of  respectable 
men,)  the  occupants  of  "gambling  dens  and  houses 
of  infamy,"  where  are  the  representatives  of  every 
rascally  business  in  the  city,  and  they  are  all  with 
your  party,  sir.  Blear-eyed  and  bloated,  ragged  and 
reeling,  hundreds  of  them  hurrying  along  to  their 
graves.  They  are  all  with  you.  Why,  sirj  Fal- 
staff's  ragged  regiment,  which  he  swore  he  would 
not  march  through  Coventry  with,  were  a  set  of  well- 
dressed  gentlemen  compared  with  a  portion  of  your 
rank  and  file." 

The  man  looked  at  him  for  a  moment  in  silence, 
then  burst  into  a  loud  laugh,  and  said : 

"  W"ell,  I  don't  know  who  you  are  ;  but  you  are  an 


CALL    TO  MASSACHUSETTS.  173 

odd  one.  You  talk  too  fast  for  me.  Yes,  yes  — 
too  fast  for  me  !  " 

"You  say  you  don't  know  this  man,"  said  Mr. 
Breck,  stepping  forward.  "Why,  you  ought  to 
know  him.  He  is  pretty  generally  known  through- 
out the  state,  and  I  will  warrant  that  you  have  heard 
of  him  often  enough.  This,  sir,  is  Dr.  Charles 
Jewett,  the  temperance  agent." 

With  a  single  exclamation  of  surprise,  the  man 
made  for  the  door  as  if  he  w^ere  escaping  from  a 
monster.  From  prejudiced  men  he  had  heard 
strange  things  about  the  doctor,  no  doubt,  and  this 
sudden  introduction  well-nigh  unmanned  him .  *  The 
interview  was  ended  for  that  day.  Subsequently, 
when  he  visited  Mr.  Breck,  the  latter  rallied  him 
about  his  contest  with  that  "terrible  temperance 
fanatic." 

*  As  an  iliustration  of  the  grossly  erroneous  views  that  many 
people  imbibe  of  reformers,  is  the  following  about  the  late 
William  Lloyd  Garrison.  With  Rev.  Samuel  J.  May,  and  many 
other  abolitionists,  he  was  on  his  way  to  Philadelphia,  to  organize 
a  National  Anti-Slavery  Society.  On  the  steamer  from  New 
York  Mr.  May  was  drawn  into  an  argument  with  a  pro-slavery 
passenger,  and  he  managed  to  shift  his  part  of  the  controversy 
upon  Mr.  Garrison,  and  stood  delighted  to  hear  his  manly,  clear, 
and  kind  defence  of  the  abolition  doctrines.  At  the  conclusion 
of  the  discussion,  the  pro-slavery  gentleman  said  : 

"  I  have  been  deeply  interested  in  your  frank  and  temperate 
treatment  of  the  subject.  If  all  abolitionists  were  ^ike  you,  there 
would  be  much  less  opposition  to  your  enterprise.  But,  sir, 
depend  upon  it,  that  hair-brained,  reckless,  violent  fanatic,  Gar- 
rison, will  damage,  if  he  does  not  shipwreck,  any  cause." 

Mr.  May  said,  "You  are  talking  with  Mr.  Garrison,  sir." 

The  reader  may  imagine  what  followed. 


I74  ^^FE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

Months  afterwards,  Dr.  Jewett  visited  Dorchester 
to  collect  money  for  the  Society.  He  inquired  after 
a  certain  man,  and  was  told  that  there  were  two 
gentlemen  by  that  name,  father  and  son.  He  found 
that  the  "father  ''  was  his  opponent  at  Mr.  Breck's. 
The  son  was  a  regular  contributor  to  the  "Union," 
and  he  proceeded  directly  to  his  house.  Ringing 
the  bell,  he  was  informed  that  the  gentleman  had 
not  yet  returned  from  the  city.  Reflecting  a  moment, 
he  decided  to  call  upon  the  father ;  it  could  do  no 
hurt.  So  he  went  to  his  fine  residence,  rang  the 
door-bell,  and  the  master  of  the  house  himself  re- 
sponded.    Each  recognized  the  other,  and  saluted. 

"  Walk  in,  walk  in,  sir ;  I  am  happy  to  see  you," 
said  the  man. 

Dr.  Jewett  walked  in,  meanwhile  stating  the 
object  of  his  call. 

"Well,"  continued  the  host,  "I  was  just  going  to 
sit  down  to  tea.  Come,  throw  off  your  coat,  and 
take  a  cup  of  tea  with  me." 

The  doctor  accepted  the  invitation,  and  the  two 
men  were  soon  in  close  conversation  about  "  fruit- 
culture,"  the  citizen  of  Dorchester  being  engaged 
quite  largely  in  that  business,  and  the  doctor  under- 
standing the  modus  operandi  equally  well  with  him- 
self. Gradually,  however,  by  skilful  management, 
the  conversation  passed  to  the  inestimable  blessings 
the  temperance  cause  had  bestowed  on  Dorchester, 
to  all  of  which  the  reluctant  citizen  was  compelled 
to  yield  assent.  The  result  was  that  he  made  a  fast 
friend  of  his  host,  and,  what  was  more  remarkable, 


CALL    TO  MASSACHUSETTS. 


175 


carried  azvay  a  liberal  donation  from  him  to  the 
Union, 

Such  incidents  prove  that  the  doctor  was  not 
above  his  business.  He  could  stand  in  the  most 
honored  pulpit,  and  upon  the  most  famous  rostrum, 
to  advocate  the  temperance  cause,  or  he  could  can- 
vass for  money  to  pa}'  the  bills. 

It  is  evident  that  Dr.  Jewett  was  a  plain-dealing 
and  heroic  laborer.  But  for  his  wdt,  his  fearless 
speech  might  have  involved  him  in  grave  difficulties. 

At  one  time  he  visited  Paxton,  w^here  he  was  to 
lecture  in  the  evening.  Learning  that  the  proprietor 
of  the  village  tavern  was  a  member  of  a  church  in 
another  town,  and  that  when  he  applied  for  a  license 
he  claimed  that  he  would  sell  only  to  travellers, 
never  to  residents,  the  doctor  concluded  to  spend 
two  or  three  hours  in  said  tavern.  He  was  a  stran- 
ger to  the  proprietor,  so  that  he  could  do  it  without 
awakening  suspicion.  He  saw  travellers  and  resi- 
dents both  patronize  the  bar  freely ;  and  finally  a 
venerable,  gray-haired  man,  having  the  appeara-nce 
of  an  intelligent,  educated,  but  ruined  man,  came  in 
for  his  drink.  As  soon  as  he  left,  the  doctor  in- 
quired : 

"Landlord,  what  old  daddy  was  that?" 

"That  is  Dr.  Harrison,"  he  replied. 

"  What !  he  a  doctor  ?  He  don't  look  much  like 
one,"  responded  Dr.  Jewett. 

"Well,"  continued  the  proprietor,  "notwithstand- 
ing his  bad  looks  now,  he  has  been  one  of  the  most 
celebrated  physicians  in  this  part  of  the  country, 
and  has  in  his  time  done  a  world  of  business." 


176  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

"  He  will  neither  bless  nor  curse  the  world  much 
longer,''  the  doctor  remarked. 

"No,"  he  answered;  ^^ his  coffer  is  -pretty  inucJi 
burned  oiity 

This  last  heartless  remark  roused  the  doctor  thor- 
oughly. He  made  it  the  text  of  his  discourse  in  the 
church  that  evening,  describing  the  scenes  of  the 
afternoon  in  the  bar-room,  charging  the  proprietor 
with  selling  to  residents  as  well  as  travellers,  criti- 
cising his  connection  with  a  Christian  church,  and 
branding  him  as  dangerous  to  the  community  and  a 
disgrace  to  his  kind.  He  awakened  such  enthusi- 
asm and  hostility  against  the  liquor  trade  that  the 
tavern-keeper  was  compelled  to  quit  the  business 
and  leave  town. 

He  could  not  endure  a  rum-selling  professor  of 
religion.  In  the  beginning  of  his  work  in  Massa- 
chusetts, when  there  were  many  of  this  class  engaged 
in  the  traffic,  he  exposed  one  publicly  in  this  way : 

"  To  aid  the  gentleman  and  his  acquaintances  in  esti- 
mating his  claims  to  Christian  character,  I  will  contrast 
the  life  and  labors  of  th-e  great  Teacher  with  the  life  and 
labors  of  this  professed  disciple. 

The  Master,  The  Disciple, 

Went  about  doing  good.    Stays  at  home  doing  evil. 

Fed  the  hungry.  Takes  bread  away  from  the  pooi . 

Healed  the  sick.  Scatters  elements  of  disease 

broadcast. 
Raised  the  dead.  Hurries  men  to  the  grave. 

Cast  out  devils.  Puts  the  devil  into  men." 


CALL  TO  MASSACHUSETTS.  177 

In  the  autumn  of  1842,  the  doctor  lectured  in 
Worcester.  Much  interest  had  been  awakened  there 
by  the  work  among  the  intemperate.  Several  re- 
formed drunkards  had  spoken  in  pubHc,  adding 
enthusiasm  to  the  meetings.  Dr.  Jewott  referred  to 
the  reclaimed  class,  and  expressed  the  wish  that 
some  of  them  would  address  the  audience  at  the 
close  of  his  lecture.  In  the  course  of  his  remarks  he 
stated  that  he  had  not  drank  a  glass  of  distilled 
spirits  for  more  than  ten  years.  As  soon  as  he  took 
his  seat,  the  audience  called  out : 

''  Gough  !     Gough  !     Gough  !  " 

The  president  rose  and  said :  "  If  Mr.  Gough  is 
in  the  hall,  will  he  come  to  the  platform?  " 

Mr.  Gough  responded,  and  his  first  words  made 
reference  to  Dr.  Jewett's  remark. 

"  Mr.  President :  I  should  really  like  to  know 
exactly  how  a  man  feels  who  has  not  had  a  glass 
of  liquor  in  his  stomach  for  ten  years." 

And  then  he  proceeded  to  his  experience  in  living 
a  new  life,  and,  in  a  speech  of  real  eloquence  and 
power,  enchained  the  audience  for  ten  minutes  or 
more.  The  doctor  saw  in  the  stranger  the  elements 
of  a  distinguished  worker,  and  remarked  to  the 
president,  at  the  close  of  the  meeting :  ''  Look  well 
to  that  young  man,  for,  if  I  mistake  not,  you  will 
be  able  to  use  him  to  some  purpose  hereafter."  He 
was  not  mistaken. 

Notwithstanding  the  "  Washingtonian  Movement  " 
crippled  the  resources  of  the  "  Union  "  so  essential- 
ly, Dr.  Jewett  co-operated  in  that  work  with  all  his 
12 


178  LIFE  OF   CHARLES  JEWETT. 

heart.  Few  speakers  were  as  efficient  as  he  in 
pleading  for  reformed  men,  and  few  were  so  self- 
sacrificing  in  personal  efforts  to  save  them. 

There  came  to  his  office  one  day  an  intemperate 
man  by  the  name  of  Carey,  asking  for  money  to 
purchase  food  and  lodging.  The  doctor  recognized 
him  as  a  young  printer  whom  he  knew  in  Provi- 
dence when  he  labored  there.  With  another  young 
man  by  the  name  of  Warner,  in  the  same  printing- 
office,  Carey  indulged  freely  in  strong  drink.  Dr. 
Jewett  had  his  printing  done  in  that  office,  and  he 
pleaded  often  with  them  to  renounce  their  cups,  but 
without  avail.  Both  became  quite  intemperate,  and 
Warner  committed  suicide  by  cutting  his  throat 
with  a  razor  at  the  conclusion  of  a  spree.  Carey 
was  forced  to  leave  the  office  because  his  habits 
became  so  dissolute.  From  that  time.  Dr.  Jewett  had 
not  seen  him  until  he  came  to  him  in  Boston. 

The  doctor  pitied  him  in  his  degradation,  gave 
him  money  to  buy  food  and  lodgings  for  the  night, 
and  extorted  his  promise  to  come  to  the  office  on  the 
following  morning. 

The  doctor  went  to  his  house  in  Newton  at  night, 
rehearsed  to  his  wife  the  interview  with  Carey,  say- 
ing that  he  appeared  to  desire  a  better  life,  and  he 
proposed  that  they  should  take  him  into  their  house, 
and  save  him  if  possible.  Mrs.  Jewett,  whose  heart 
was  ever  ready  to  help  the  needy,  seconded  the 
proposal  at  once,  and  the  next  day  Carey  became  a 
member  of  Dr.  Jewett's  family.  The  readei  will 
appreciate   the   kind   and   benevolent  spirit  ol   Dr. 


CALL  TO  MASSACHUSETTS.  1 79 

Jewett  and  his  excellent  wife,  when  he  learns  the 
actual  condition  of  the  man.  The  doctor  shall  de- 
scribe him : 

"  As  the  result  of  long  intemperance,  offensive  ulcers 
had  formed   on  his  limbs,  and  he  was  a  ragged,  bloated, 

diseased,    degraded,  repulsive    creature We     had 

then  six  children  of  our  own,  and  this  was  not  a 
promising  child  to  adopt  into  one's  family ;  could  not 
bring  a  certificate  of  good  character ;  did  not  look  very 
well,  and  withal,  other  senses  revolted  at  his  pres- 
ence. I  furnished  him  a  room,  made  such  improvements 
in  his  personale  as  soap,  water,  and  clean  clothing  could 
do,  and  he  was  '  one  of  us.*  It  was  a  bitter  pill  to  swal> 
low.  But  what  else  could  we  do?  The  widow's  son,  his 
former  companion,  had  come  to  me  in  Providence,  and  I 
had  given  him  —  advice.  That  was  all;  and  rumsellers 
and  the  razor  had  given  him  —  death. 

"James  Carey  was  saved;  but  it  cost  us  five  months 
board  at  —  how  much  per  week?  His  clothes  did  not 
cost  much  ;  for  he  wore  those  I  had  cast  oft';  but  they 
were  clean,  although  here  and  there  ornamented  with  a 
patch.  You  would  have  laughed  to  have  seen  the  set  of 
them,  for  my  weight  was  one  hundred  and  eighty,  and  he 
was  as  thin  as  Oliver  Twist.  But  what  a  struo^s^le  the 
poor  fellow  had  for  a  week.  The  presiding  genius  of  that 
home  had  to  make  him  a  good  many  cups  of  strong  coftee, 
and  to  bake  for  him  a  good  many  custards,  and  speak  to 
him  a  good  many  encouraging  words. 

*^ '  Do  not  leave  me,  James,  however  badly  you  may 
feel,'  she  would  say.  '  Stay  with  us,  come  what  may,  and 
we  will  do  all  we  can  for  you.' 

"  '  I  will,  ma'am  ;  I  will  stick  by,  live  or  die.  If  I  die 
of  tremens,  I  will  die  here.* 

"  '  That  is  right,  James.     But  you  will  not  die.     You 


l8o  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT. 

may  feel  sometimes  as  if  you  would  die,  but  you  will  not. 
You  will  live  to  retrieve  the  past.  You  have  had  a  terriblo 
education  ;  but  never  mind,  you'll  be  a  man  yet.'  " 

James  Carey  became  a  working  temperance  man 
and  a  Christian,  settled  in  Boston  as  a  printer,  mar- 
ried an  estimable  lady,  and  went  to  housekeeping; 
and  his  first  guests  in  his  happy  home  were  Doctor 
and  Mrs.  Jewett.  Again  and  again  Dr.  Jewelt  was 
entertained  in  his  house ;  and  at  the  time  his  visits 
wereinterrupted  by  removal,  the  couple  were  blessed 
with  a  little  daughter.  Leaving  the  state,  the  doctor 
never  saw  Carey  again ;  and  he  lost  sight  of  him. 
The  sequel  is  soon  told. 

Twenty  years  elapsed  ;  and  we  recollect  the  doc- 
tor's coming  into  the  Alliance  rooms  one  Monday 
morning,  after  lecturing  in  Marblehead  on  the  Sab- 
bath, and  narrating  the  following  incident : 

"  Last  night  at  five  o'clock  I  addressed  the  crowd  at 
Marblehead,  down  by  the  water,  on  the  rocks.  At  the  con- 
clusion of  my  remarks,  a  young  lady  came  to  me  with 
considerable  emotion,  and  said,  '  Dr.  Jewett,  you  do  not 
know  me,  but  I  know  you.  I  have  heard  my  father  tell 
so  much  about  you  that  I  thought  I  must  speak  to  you, 
and  thank  you  for  your  great  kindness  to  him.'  'And 
who  is  your  father?'  I  asked.  'James  Carey,'  she  an 
swered.  You  may  be  sure  that  I  was  greatly  surprised 
and  pleased;  and  I  inquired,  as  soon  as  I  recovered  from 
my  surprise,  'And  where  is  your  father.?'  'He  is  in 
heaven,'  she  leplied;  '  died  several  years  ago,  a  good  man, 
as  he  had  lived.  His  death  was  triumphant.  He  talked 
much  of  you;  and  I  have  longed  to  see  you,  and  tell  you 
bow  grateful  I  feel  for  your  goodness  to  him.' " 


CALL   TO  MASSACHUSETTS.  i8l 

"That  pays,"  added  the  doctor,  with  tears  running 
down  his  cheeks. 

Months  after  the  reformation  of  Carey,  Dr.  Jewett 
related  the  circumstances  of  his  recovery  to  an  au- 
dience in  South  Hadley,  Mass.,  as  an  encourage- 
ment to  labor  for  the  intemperate.  Rev.  L.  Thomp- 
son, the  missionary,  was  present,  and  he  was  so 
impressed  with  the  qualities  of  a  woman  who  was 
willing  to  receive  into  her  large  family  such  a  mis- 
erable creature,  and  toil  for  his  salvation,  that  sub- 
sequently he  sent  her  a  unique  and  valuable  present, 
accompanied  by  the  following  graceful  letter : 

*'  South  Hadley,  March  i,  1845. 
"  Dear  Doctor  :  Allow  me  to  say  that  I  was  greatly  in- 
terested in  the  story  you  gave  us,  which  so  admirably  illus- 
trated the  kindness  of  your  wife.  I  am  anxious,  in  some 
way,  to  signify  my  hearty  esteem  for  her  character,  and  my 
gratitude,  in  the  name  of  human  nature,  for  her  '  sweet 
charities  *  to  the  miserable  and  unfortunate.  Will  you 
accept,  for  her,  as  a  slight  token  of  my  esteem,  the  small 
box  in  the  package  with  the  books.  It  is  covered  with 
the  Cedar  of  Lebanon^  the  emblem  of  strength  and  beauty 
combined.  I  visited  the  'Cedars'  somewhat  over  two 
years  since,  and  with  great  difficulty  and  danger  brought 
away  with  me,  over  rocks,  precipices,  and  ravines, 
through  throngs  of  spies,  soldiers,  and  all  sorts  of  foes 
to  the  foreigners,  a  distance  of  three  days'  journey,  enough 
of  the  wood  for  many  such  souvenirs.  If  Mrs.  Jevett 
will  accept  of  one,  it  will  add  a  little  to  my  happiness. 
"  In  great  haste. 

Yours  truly, 

L.  Thompson." 


l82  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 


X. 

WORK  IN  MASSACHUSETTS  CONTINUED. 

WHEN  Dr.  Jewett  removed  his  family  to  "  New- 
ton," there  was  no  place  of  religious  worship 
in  that  part  of  the  town.  A  few  Congregational 
families  had  settled  there,  and  the  prospect  of  a 
growing,  thriving  village  was  encouraging.  It  was 
not  long,  however,  before  a  movement  was  made  to 
establish  public  worship.  At  first,  service  was 
maintained  in  the  schoolhouse,  on  Sabbath  evenings. 
Sometimes  it  was  a  preaching  service,  and  some- 
times a  conference  meeting.  But  in  1845  a  suc- 
cessful movement  was  made  to  organize  a  church, 
and  establish  the  Christian  ordinances  permanently. 
A  church  of  thirty-seven  members  was  organized, 
Dr.  Jewett  and  wife  being  two  of  the  number.  The 
doctor  engaged  in  the  enterprise  with  all  the  enthu- 
siasm that  he  usually  put  into  the  temperance  reform. 
He  gave  his  best  thoughts,  spare  time,  and  money, 
to  make  the  project  successful.  He  subscribed  one- 
twelfth  of  all  his  property  towards  the  erection  of  a 
bouse  of  worship.  He  watched  the  process  of  build- 
ing it  with  an  interest  that  no  words  can  adequately 
express.  He  entered  into  the  plan  to  secure  a  pas- 
tor, with  a  zeal  and  spirit  that  were  born  of  con- 


WORK  IN  MASSACHUSETTS.  183 

science  and  heroic  faith.  When  the  enterprise  was 
complete,  and  a  pastor  ordained,  he  was  a  happy 
man.  A  grand  thing  was  done  for  the  pubhc  in 
general,  and  for  his  family  in  particular. 

One  who  participated  in  those  early  scenes,  writes  : 

"  Citizens  were  invited  to  meet  at  the  schoolhouse  to 
adopt  measures  for  the  building  of  a  church.  Dr.  Jewett 
was  present,  and  expressed  much  interest  in  the  enter- 
prise. He  was  among  the  first  to  record  his  name  with  a 
subscription  for  at  least  one-twelfth  of  all  his  worldly 
wealth,  in  furtherance  of  the  object.  The  doctor  was  al- 
most invariably  present  at  the  many  meetings  called,  ere 
the  plans  were  perfected,  and  a  contract  made  for  the 
church-edifice,  and  by  his  familiarity  with  churches,  seen 
in  his  travels,  gave  valuable  aid  in  securing  a  neat,  sub- 
stantial structure,  at  a  reasonable  cost.  Great  was  the 
joy  of  doctor  and  Mrs.  Jevv^ett,  that  henceforth  they  were 
to  have  the  comfort  and  aid  of  the  sanctuary  in  educating 
and  training  their  growing  family  in  the  way  of  holiness; 
and  the  place  of  prayer  was  hereafter  to  be  the  welcome 
spot,  where,  in  union  with  their  brethren,  they  were  to 
enjoy  communion  one  with  another  in  prayer  for  '  that 
wisdom  which  maketh  rich,  and  addeth  no  sorrow  there- 
with.* Dr.  Jewett  was  rarely  absent  from  the  weekly 
prayer-meeting  when  at  home.  He  loved  the  place  of 
prayer,  and  rarely  omitted  to  express  his  interest  by  some 
hearty,  tender  petition,  or  brief,  pointed,  yet  kind  address." 

The  doctor  built  a  house  soon  after  he  became  a 
resident  of  Newton,  and  the  street  upon  which  it 
was  erected  was  named  after  him  — Jewett  Street. 
While  building  the  house,  he  lectured  in  Manches- 
ter ;  and  the  ladies  were  so  deeply  interested  in  his 


184  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

address,  that  they  desired  to  furnish  some  special, 
tangible  proof  of  their  appreciation  of  it ;  so  they 
presented  him  with  a  pump  for  his  new  house.  The 
doctor,  in  turn,  desired  to  show  that  he  valued  the 
pump  as  highly  as  they  did  the  lecture ;  so  he  mag- 
nified the  affair  in  verse,  and  published  the  same  in 
the  "  Salem  Register." 

Three  of  Dr.  Jewett's  children  were  born  at  New- 
ton. When  Frank  was  eight  or  ten  months  old,  the 
doctor  saw  a  baby-jumper  for  the  first  time,  some- 
where in  his  travels,  and  he  went  home  and  made 
one,  as  attractive  and  useful  as  any  that  he  could  pur- 
chase. In  a  letter  to  his  son  in  Japan,  January  6, 
1878,  we  find  a  pleasant  allusion  to  it  in  his  char- 
acteristic signature,  thus  :  "  Yours  decidedly,  ever 
since  I  saw  you  in  the  Baby-Jumper." 

Of  Dr.  Jewett's  influence  in  Newton,  the  writer 
just  quoted  continues : 

"  I  think  he  had  no  superior  as  a  temperance  lecturer 
in  this  country.  As  a  city  we  are  largely  indebted  to  him 
for  the  position  of  no  license  which  it  to-day  holds.  His 
lectures,  given  to  the  children  and  youth  of  thirty  years 
ago  and  more,  who  are  the  men  of  to-day,  so  thoroughly 
indoctrinated  them  in  the  principles  of  temperance,  that 
no  city  government  would  dare  to  license  the  sale  of  in- 
toxicating liquors  as  a  beverage." 

Rev.  William  S.  Leavitt  was  the   first  pastor  of 
the  church,  and  he  says  : 

"  Dr.  Jewett  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Eliot  Church 
in  Newton,  Mass.,  of  which   I  was  the  first  pastor.     He 


WORK  IN  MASSACHUSETTS.  185 

remained  there  not  long,  and  was  absent  most  of  the  time 
upon  his  temperance  work.  But  I  knew  him  only  to  ad- 
mire his  untiring  energy,  his  earnest  eloquence,  his  fertile 
and  exhaustless  wit,  and  his  perfectly  unselfish  devotion 
to  the  good  of  his  fellow-men.  I  have  listened  with  tlie 
greatest  interest  and  pleasure  to  some  of  the  lectures  and 
addresses  which  he  gave  on  the  subject  of  temperance, 
and  especially  admired  the  skill  and  solemnity  with  which 
he  brought  the  teachings  of  Scripture  to  bear  upon  the 
great  theme." 

Before  leaving  his  Newton  home,  we  desire  to 
call  the  reader's  attention  to  what  will  appear  in  the 
course  of  this  narrative.  Twelve  years  after  Dr. 
Jewett  assisted  to  form  the  Eliot  Church,  he  estab- 
lished a  Sabbath  school  and  worship  in  his  own 
house  in  the  territory  of  Minnesota,  and  the  society 
at  Newton  presented  him  with  a  library.  A  year 
later,  when  a  chapel  for  divine  worship  was  erected 
there  by  his  persevering  labors,  the  society  at  New- 
ton sent  him  over  one  hundred  dollars.  And  since 
his  death,  the  same  society  forwarded  one  hundred 
and  fifteen  dollars  for  the  Testimonial  Fund,  raised 
as  a  tribute  to  his  memory.  "  Cast  thy  bread  upon 
the  waters,  and  thou  shalt  find  it  after  many  days." 

When  the  editorial  management  of  the  publica- 
tions of  the  society  devolved  upon  Dr.  Jewett,  the 
committee  voted  that  each  monthly  sheet  should  con- 
tain a  poem,  illustrated,  the  doctor's  brain  to  furnish 
as  many  of  them  as  was  consistent  with  other  du- 
ties. At  the  close  of  the  year,  these  twelve  poems 
were  published  in  a  pamphlet  of  forty-eight  pages, 


l86  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

under  the  title  of  "Temperance  Lyrics,"  a  copy  of 
which  is  before  us ;  and  we  find  that  Dr.  Jewett 
wrote  four  of  them,  while  all  the  illustrations  are 
the  products  of  his  fertile  brain.  The  names  of  the 
four  he  wrote  are:  "The  Cambridge  Tragedy," 
"  Fourteen  o'Clock,"  "  The  Cotton  Speculation,"  and 
"  Qiiitting  Too  Late."  The  first  was  the  story  of  a 
drunkard's  wife,  who  requested  the  rumseller  to 
desist  selling  strong  drink  to  her  husband.  As  he 
did  not  heed  her  advice,  she  entered  his  "Uquor-shop, 
and  destroyed  decanters,  demijohns,  and  what  not, 
leaving  the  concern  a  wreck.     It  began  : 

"  Women  and  facts  are  very  stubborn  things, 
AxiCi  rule  this  world  in  spite  of  lords  and  kings ; 
My  muse  of  facts  and  women  therefore  sings." 

The  second  was  the  experience  of  two  drunken 
dandies  on  a  dark,  rainy  night,  on  their  way  home 
from  the  revel.  A  clock  struck  the  time,  which 
they  stopped  to  learn,  and  just  as  it  ceased,  another 
clock  began.  Counting  to  ^' fourteen ^'^  they  stopped 
in  amazement ;  and  here  the  piece  closes  : 

"  They  reached  at  \q\'\^\\-\  fourtee7i^  and  quite  amazed, 
One  thus  exclaimed,  while  wildly  round  he  gazed, 
^Through  all  my —  (hie)  — ///^,  some  Hventy  years  or 

more^ 
I  never  knew  it  —  (hie)  —  quite  so  late  before^  " 

The  third  was  the  story  of  a  rumseller's  wife  in 
Fall  River,  who  gave  a  shirt  of  her  husband  to  a 


IP^OI^/r  IN  MASSACHUSETTS.  187 

beggar.  Two  hours  afterwards  she  found  that  the 
recipient  tore  it  into  rags,  and  with  other  garments 
served  in  the  same  way,  sold  them  to  her  husband 
for  old  rags,  taking  his  pay  in  rum.  To  satisfy  her 
liege  lord  that  he  had  bought  his  own  shirt,  she 
examined  the  bundle  of  rags  and  found  a  strip  with 
his  own  name  on  it.  She  tantalized  him  afterwards 
about  his  "cotton  speculation." 

"  Then  staring  in  the  face  of  her  liege  lord, 
And  suiting  well  her  action  to  the  word, 
With  bitter  irony  she  thus  exclaimed : 
*  Dear  sir,  don't  look  confounded  or  ashamed  ; 
For  one  of  moderate  means  and  humble  station 
You've  made  a  splendid  cotton  speculation.'  " 

A  gentleman  recited  this  poem  at  a  temperance 
convention  in  Seekonk,  Mass.,  some  months  after 
its  publication,  and  when  he  concluded,  a  clergyman 
arose  and  said  that  he  knew  the  parties,  and  that  he 
furnished  Dr.  Jewett  with  the  facts. 

The  fourth  poem  was  the  tale  of  the  turkeys  which 
became  intoxicated  on  the  liquor-seller's  rum-soaked 
cherries  that  he  threw  into  the  street.  Their  maiden 
owners,  supposing  they  were  dead,  picked  off  their 
feathers  and  threw  them  under  the  shed,  whence 
they  soon  emerged,  crying,  "  Quit,  quit ! " 

*'  Poor  birds  !  "  said  Hannah,  "  better  seek  your  pen  ; 
You  act  as  foolish  quite  as  drunken  men. 
And  a  like  fate  is  yours,  for  they  get  tricked 
By  vile  rumsellers,  are  made  drunk,  and  picked ; 


l88  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

And  some,  like  you,  cry  '  Qiiit ! '  but  quite  too  late 
To  save  them  from  a  sad  and  wretched  fate. 

"  Oh,  my  poor  birds !  it  makes  me  melancholy 
To  think  how  you  must  suffer  for  your  folly ; 
Your  unprotected  sides  exposed  all  weathers ! 

It  would  have  pleased  me  more 

If  you  had  '  quit  *  before, 
In  time  to  save  your  credit  and  your  feathers." 

These  illustrated  poems  were  altogether  a  new- 
feature  of  a  temperance  journal,  and  were  received 
with  great  favor.  They  arrested  attention  where 
graver  things  would  have  passed  unnoticed. 

For  the  third  time  he  was  invited  to  deliver  a 
poem  in  Boston,  at  a  temperance  convention.  It 
was  a  tribute  to  the  mission  of  Law  to  destroy  the 
liquor  traffic,  in  which  he  personated  the  rumseller 
lamenting  over  his  occupation  gone,  and  experien- 
cing the  penalty  of  broken  laws  behind  bolts  and 
bars.  The  joy  of  the  reclaimed  drunkard  also,  and 
that  of  his  wife,  is  produced,  closing  with  an  appeal 
to  Massachusetts  to  defend  virtue  and  liberty  against 
vice  and  oppression.  Afterwards,  by  invitation,  he 
delivered  it  before  the  members  of  the  Massachu- 
setts legislature,  and,  subsequently,  on  going  to 
Portland,  Maine,  to  lecture,  the  passengers  on  the 
steamer  pressed  him  to  read  it  to  them,  and  he 
acceded  to  their  request.  We  have  space  for  only 
the  beginning  of  the  vender's  lamentation  : 

"  Alack !    alas  !    and    well-a-day !       In  vain  did  lawyers 
plead ; 


WORK  IN  MASSACHUSETTS,  189 

Our  last  appeal  has   surely  failed !     There  is  a  God, 

indeed. 
I've  doubted  it  this  many  a  day,  but  now,  perforce,  I 

see ! 
There  is  a  Judge  who  can't  be  reached  with  any  kind 

of  fee." 

He  delivered  a  public  address  in  Lowell,  at  a 
time  when  there  was  an  effort  made  to  arouse 
temperance  people  from  their  apathy,  to  attack 
the  liquor  traffic.  Having  two  or  three  hours  of 
leisure  before  the  lecture,  he  wrote  a  short  poem, 
"Apostrophe  to  the  Merrimack,"  with  which  to 
close  his  address.  It  represented  the  priceless 
value  of  its  water  to  the  city ;  that  it  would  be 
"desolate,"  "deserted,"  "dead,"  without  it;  and 
closed  thus : 

"  Those  mighty  cotton  kings,  whose  slightest  word 
Is  now  obeyed  almost  as  soon  as  heard ; 
Who  speak  the  word,  and  lofty  walls  ascend ; 
Who  stretch  the  hand,  and  lengthening  streets  extend ; 
Who  stamp  the  foot,  and  like  an  ebbing  tide. 
The  very  pavement  settles  at  your  side  ; 
Lords  of  both  men  and  money,  where  were  they, 
Shouldst  thou  but  turn  thy  water  power  away? 

"  Such  were  the  fate  of  Lowell,  shouldst  thou  lack 
Thy  wealth  of  waters,  bounteous  Merrimack  ! 
The  pulse  of  life,  that  beats  so  full  and  free, 
Tl:rough  all  her  mighty  frame,  is  given  by  thee! 
Then  let  her  own  thy  power,  yield  to  thy  sway, 
And  in  cold  water  wash  her  stains  away." 


IC)0  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT. 

The  delivery  of  it  was  received  with  tumultuous 
applause,  and  the  following  day  gentlemen  of  the 
press  solicited  a  copy  for  publication. 

A  social  gathering  of  the  friends  of  temperance 
in  Boston  one  evening,  at  the  house  of  Deacon  Moses 
Grant,  enjoyed  a  rare  exhibition  of  Dr.  Jewett's  abil- 
ity to  read  character,  and  his  power  of  imitation  in 
representing  it.  He  was  called  out  by  some  one 
who  understood  that  he  was  an  adept  in  the  art.  Jn 
the  company  was  Rev.  T.  P.  Hunt,  the  renowned 
temperance  lecturer  from  Pennsylvania,  and  James 
Haydock,  a  reformed  inebriate  from  New  York,  v/ho 
had  lost  a  leg  in  blasting  rocks  when  he  was  drunk. 
Haydock  possessed  some  eccentricities  that  attracted 
attention. 

The  doctor  proposed  to  imitate  those  of  the  com- 
pany with  whom  he  was  familiar ;  and  he  began 
wdth  good  Deacon  Grant,  and  passed  on  to  others, 
to  the  no  small  delight  of  all  present.  But  when  he 
came  to  Mr.  Hunt,  short  and  humpbacked,  with  a 
squeaking  voice,  the  imitation  was  so  exact  that  the 
company  grew  wild  with  excitement.  Their  laugh- 
ter was  of  the  explosive  kind,  and  somewhat  intem- 
perate. Some  were  observed  to  clap  their  hands  on 
their  hips  as  if  to  hold  the  imperilled  body  together  ; 
and  "  Father  Hunt"  himself,  no  longer  able  to  main- 
tain a  sitting  posture  in  his  chair,  took  at  once  to  the 
floor,  where  the  laughter  poured  out  of  him  in  a  tor- 
rent. The  company  had  scarcely  recovered  from 
the  effects  of  the  scene  just  described,  when  it  came 
Hay  dock's  turn,  and  the  result  was  a  repetition  of 


WORK  IN  MASSACHUSETTS.  191 

the  foregoing,  with  this  exception,  that  the  exhaust- 
ed forces  of  human  nature  in  the  parlor  could  not  do 
justice  to  the  occasion. 

Dr.  Jewett  was  able  to  imitate  prominent  clergy- 
men, lawyers,  statesmen,  and  other  public  men, 
showing  peculiarities  of  manners,  enunciation,  tones 
of  voice,  gesture,  and  emphasis.  In  reading  the 
standard  poets,  particularly  Shakespeare,  he  studied 
characters,  and  in  reading,  he  reproduced  the  char- 
acters. For  example,  many  of  his  friends  recall,  as 
the  author  does,  how  well  he  personated  the  "  fat- 
witted  "  FalstafFin  "  King  Henry  Fourth,"  stretching 
himself  up  to  his  full  height,  and  appearing,  for  all 
the  world,  as  obese,  rotund,  and  funny  as  Falstaff 
himself;  in  deep,  grum  voice,  and  free-and-easy 
action,  like  another  bar-room  visitor,  discoursing  : 

"Thou  hast  the  most  unsavory  similes;  and  art,  in- 
deed, the  most  comparative,  rascaliest,  sweet  young 
prince.  But,  Hal,  I  pr'ythee,  trouble  me  no  more  with 
vanity.  I  v>'ould  thou  and  I  knew  where  a  commodity  of 
good  names  were  to  be  bought.  An  old  lord  of  the  coun- 
cil rated  me  the  other  day  in  the  street  about  you,  sir  ;  but  I 
marked  him  not ;  and  yet  he  talked  very  wisely ;  but  I 
regarded  him  not;  and  yet  he  talked  loosely,  and  in  the 
street  too." 

He  lectured  sometimes  upon  Shakespeare ;  also 
upon  Burns.  He  had  a  lecture,  too,  entitled  "  Even- 
ings with  the  Poets,"  in  which  he  introduced  the 
productions  of  various  poets,  as  Goldsmith,  Byron, 
Thomson,  Hood,  Words v,orth,  and  others.  All  of 
these  were  extemporaneous  efforts.     He  quoted  from 


192  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

the  poets  wholly  from  memory,  thereby  gaining 
power  that  is  usually  lost  when  the  text-book  is  used. 
His  memory  was  not  only  very  retentive,  but  won- 
derfully exact.  It  not  only  retained  the  substance 
of  the  author's  poem  or  essay,  but  his  precise  words. 
Nor  did  the  lapse  of  time  appear  to  loosen  the  hold 
of  his  memory  upon  its  possessions.  We  have  heard 
him  repeat  a  poem  that  he  committed  more  than 
thirty  years  before,  never  having  rehearsed  it  from 
that  time.  This  remarkable  ability  was  of  inesti- 
mable value  to  him  in  public  lectures,  as  well  as  in 
social  chat,  and,  added  to  his  great  power  in  per- 
sonating character  of  any  and  every  nationality, 
imitating  dialect,  brogue,  and  other  peculiarities 
perfectly,  made  him  really  an  exception  among  the 
best  public  readers,  since  nearly  all  of  them  render 
the  text  finely,  but  fail  to  produce  the  characters. 

On  the  fourth  of  July,  1876,  the  citizens  of  Wood- 
stock, Connecticut,  celebrated  the  national  centen- 
nial on  a  grand  scale,  — oration,  speeches,  music, 
poem,  —  honored  by  the  presence  of  several  of  the 
distinguished  public  men  of  our  country.  Among 
the  exercises  that  elicited  particular  applause  was  the 
personating  of  Daniel  Webster,  Thomas  Corwin, 
George  N.  Briggs,  J.  G.  Whittier,  Horace  Greeley, 
and  John  Bright,  by  Dr.  Jewett.  In  selections  from 
the  writings  of  these  famous  men,  he  reproduced 
the  men  themselves  so  skilfull}^  as  to  surprise  his 
delighted  listeners. 

He  regarded  Shakespeare  as  far  superior  to  any 
other  writer,  not  alone  in  the  delineation  of  charac- 


WORK  IN  MASSACHUSETTS. 


193 


ter,  but  also  as  preserving  individuality  ^  so  that  the 
ruhng  trait  was  always  manifest.  Dr.  Jewett  aimed 
at  this  in  his  delineation  of  character,  and  he  was 
successful. 

A  letter  just  received  from  a  leading  citizen  of 
Faribault,  Minnesota,  R.  A.  Mott,  Esq.,  who  was 
intimate  with  Dr.  Jewett  in  Minnesota  from  1855  to 
1858,  says : 

*'  The  doctor's  dramatic  powers  were  wonderful,  and, 
fed  by  his  exuberant  fancies  and  rich  imagination,  gave 
him  rare  power  over  a  Tnovable  audience.  He  gave 
public  readings  on  both  Burns  and  Shakespeare  in  our 
village.  His  success  with  Burns,  especially  Tani 
O'Shanter  and  Holy  Willie's  Prayer,  was  great.  I  will 
give  you  an  incident  of  rare  success  with  but  one  auditor. 
In  the  winter  of  1858  I  was  invited  to  attend  a  temper- 
ance meeting  at  Northfield,  in  this  county,  and,  if  possible, 
to  bring  Dr.  Jewett  with  me.  We  went,  and  held  an  even- 
ing meeting.  We  were  the  guests  of  Hon.  John  W. 
North,  proprietor  of  the  town,  and  roomed  and  slept  to- 
gether. xVfler  a  pleasant  talk  with  the  family  we  retired. 
Our  chamber  was  lighted  by  an  uncurtained  west  window, 
through  which  a  Minnesota  moon  poured  her  richest  flood 
of  light.  I  got  into  bed  first,  and  the  doctor's  undressed 
profile  standing  between  me  and  the  illuminated  window 
"suggested  to  me  a  couplet  in  Macbeth,  which  I  repeated. 

le    doctor  ignited  at   once,  and    stalking   through   and 

und    the    room,  and   with    excited,    maniacal,   though 

•"opriate    gesticulations,     he    repeated,    correctly    and 

jptly,  the  entire  act  in  which  my  quotation  occurred. 

It  was   the  wildest,  weirdest  exhibition  of  genius  I  ever 

witnessed,  and  the  scene  will  remain  w^ith  me  forever. 

13 


ip4  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

"  In  the  morning,  at  the  breakfast-table,  Mr.  North  in- 
quired who  had  been  sick  overnight,  said  he  heard  a  great 
commotion  iip-stairs,  and  if  he  had  not  known  the  char- 
acter of  his  guests?,  should  have  suspected  a  case  of  delir- 
ium tremens.  I  told  the  whole  story,  as  best  I  could,  to 
the  great  amusement  of  the  ladies,  and  utter  discomfiture 
of  the  doctor,  who  always  afterwards  declared  that  he 
owed  me  one." 

When  he  read  Burns,  he  was  a  complete  Scotch- 
man in  voice,  brogue,  and  manners.  In  one  town, 
a  scholarly  gentleman  listened  to  his  lecture  on 
Burns  w^ith  profound  interest.  The  next  morning 
he  sent  to  the  city  for  a  copy  of  Burns,  remarking 
that  "  he  never  appreciated  the  beauties  of  Burns 
before,"  thus  paying  a  decided  compliment  to  the 
doctor's  ability  as  a  reader.  Few  public  readers 
cause  hearers  to  fall  in  love  with  the  authors  they 
personate  to  a  degree  that  sends  them  away  to  study 
the  productions  read.  Recently  we  met  a  clergy- 
man in  the  cars  who  remarked ; 

"I  heard  Dr.  Jewett  deliver  a  course  of  six  scien- 
tific temperance  lectures  in  New  Hampshire,  over 
thirty  years  ago,  and  those  lectures  have  been  the 
basis  of  my  views  and  labors  on  the  subject  from  that 
day  to  this.  At  the  close  of  the  course  of  temper- 
ance lectures,  he  gave  us  a  lecture  on  the  poet  Burns, 
the  best  lecture  of  the  kind  I  ever  heard.  The  fine 
points  of  that  poet  were  impressed  upon  me  as  never 
before,  and  I  went  away  and  purchased  a  copy  of 
his  poems." 

The  venerable  Daniel   Kimball,  Esq.,  who  was 


WORK  I  A  MASSACHUSETTS.  ip- 

associated  with  Dr.  Jcwett  in  the  beginning  of  his 
work  in  Massachusetts,  says:  "I  have  heard  him 
talk  for  hours  of  'Bobby  Burns,'  filling  up  all  void 
spaces  with  snatches  of  the  poet's  songs,  repeated  in 
Scotch  accent,  and  ever  and  anon  illuminated  by 
the  bright  scintillations  of  that  laughing  eye  of  his, 
which  gave  such  point  to  all  he  said." 

We  find  what  appears  to  be  notes  of  a  lecture  on 
Burns,  delivered  in  Amesbury,  Massachusetts,  sev- 
eral years  ago.  Speaking  of  Burns'  youth  and  in- 
experience, he  said,  by  way  of  introduction  : 

"  No  just  estimate  can  be  formed  of  the  native  talent  or 
genius  of  an  individual  from  the  most  careful  examination 
of  what  he  has  wrought,  unless  we  take  into  consideration 
his  previous  preparation  for  the  work,  and  the  circiun- 
stances  which  surrounded  him  during  its  execution. 
When  we  look  at  a  splendid  painting,  and  find  there  all 
the  excellences  which  can  attach  to  such  a  production, 
we  are  not  surprised  at  its  faultless  character  if  we  are 
told  that  it  was  executed  by  one  who  had  enjoyed  every 
facility  for  perfecting  himself  in  that  art,  and  was  quite  at 
leisure  to  devote  to  the  specimen  before  us  all  the  time  he 
desired.  But  if  we  are  told  that  the  splendid  work  on 
which  we  are  gazing  with  delight  was  the  work  of  a 
young  man,  who  had  enjoyed  no  advantages  for  cultiva- 
tion, and  that  the  work  was  executed  during  brief  inter- 
vals snatched  from  a  laborious  occupation,  we  are  amazed 
at  the  native  genius  of  the  young  artist." 

From  the  notes  it  appears  that  he  called  attention 
to  the  different  classes  of  poetry  thus : 

''''Epistolary.  —  A  species  of  verse  combining  all  the 


196  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT, 

other  forms,  giving,  in  combination,  History,  Philosophy, 
Fiction. 

"  Didactic,  —  Written  with  a  special  view  to  instruc- 
tion. 

*'  Elegiac.  —  The  poetry  of  mourning  or  grief. 

"  Dramatic.  —  Poetry  adapted  to  representation  on  the 
Btage. 

"  Pastoral.  —  Descriptive  of  rural  life  and  country 
scenes ;  a  sort  of  landscape  painting  with  words. 

"•  Descriptive.  —  Goldsmith's  Deserted  Village." 

His  illustrations  from  Burns  were  confined  to  the 
epistolary  class,  —  "Epistle  to  Friend  Davy,"  —  de- 
scriptive and  elegiac  classes.  On  the  particular  sub- 
ject of  the  "Tempest,"  he  introduced  not  only  Burns, 
but,  by  way  of  comparison,  Shakespeare,  Byron, 
William  Gaylord  Clark,  and  Goldsmith.  "  To  Mary 
in  Heaven,"  "  Lament  for  James  Earl  of  Glencairn,'' 
and  "John  Anderson  My  Joe,"  were  among  his  prin- 
cipal selections. 

The  feeling  is  irrepressible,  that  he  would  have 
stood  before  the  country  as  the  prince  of  public 
readers,  had  he  but  chosen  to  devote  himself  to 
that  particular  department.  But  with  him  it  was 
simply  a  pastime.  He  had  other  and  greater  work 
on  his  hands,  which  his  conscience  required  him  to 
perform. 

Now  that  we  are  speaking  of  Dr.  Jewett's  ability 
to  represent  character,  we  may  record  several  facts 
illustrating  his  ability  to  read  character. 

He  went  to  Faneuil  Hall,  Boston,  to  hear  John 
Quincy  Adam^?.     Soon  after  he  was  seated,  he  ob- 


WORK  IN  MASSACHUSETTS. 


197 


served  a  gentleman  in  front  of  him  who  attracted 
his  notice.  After  a  moment's  close  observation,  he 
called  Mrs.  Jewett's  attention  to  that  marked  face, 
saying,  "  That  man  does  his  own  thinking."  At  the 
close  of  the  meeting,  he  learned  that  the  gentleman 
was  Rufus  Choate. 

Once  he  stopped  at  the  Delevan  House,  Albany, 
with  his  wife.  It  was  in  June,  just  as  strawberries 
came  into  market,  and  the  hotel  table  was  supplied 
with  them.  There  came  to  the  table  a  well-dressed, 
portly  man,  wdth  his  wife  and  daughters ;  and  no 
sooner  did  he  discover  the  strawberries  than  he 
appropriated  every  dish  of  them  within  his  reach  for 
himself  and  family.  Dr.  Jewett  surveyed  the  scene 
with  as  much  composure  as  possible  for  a  moment, 
then  whispered  to  his  wife : 

"That  fellow  is  a  Western  pork-dealer,  I  believe, 
and  he  has  followed  the  business  so  long  that  it  has 
struck  in." 

On  going  to  the  office  of  the  hotel  after  dinner, 
he  found  that  the  man  was  an  extensive  pork-dealer 
from  Cincinnati. 

At  another  time  he  was  travelling  in  the  cars 
from  New  York  to  Philadelphia.  Directly  in  front 
of  him  sat  two  young  men  whose  manners  and  con- 
versation he  observed  closely.  At  a  station  where 
the  train  stopped,  a  female  acquaintance  of  the  doc- 
tor entered  the  car  —  one  whom  he  had  not  seen  for 
several  years.  Each  w^as  surprised  and  delighted  to 
see  the  other,  and  they  chatted  together  until  the 
lady  left  at  another  station.     The  lady  was  rather 


ipS  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

masculine  in  appearance,  though  very  intelligent, 
and  her  voice  was  somewhat  boisterous.  On  her 
departure,  the  doctor  overheard  one  of  the  young 
men  drop  a  remark  to  his  associate  that  was  not  in- 
tended to  compliment  the  woman,  and  the  appear- 
ance of  both  indicated  a  disposition  to  ridicule. 

"Young  men,"  said  the  doctor,  leaning  forward, 
and  addressing  them  in  a  subdued  voice,  "I  think 
you  do  not  read  the  character  of  that  lady.  She  is 
a  clergyman's  wife,  one  of  the  most  talented  Chris- 
tian women  of  Massachusetts,  a  person  for  whom  I 
cherish  profound  respect.  You  did  not  form  that 
opinion  of  her — did  you?  Come,  now,  tell  me 
frankly." 

One  of  them  admitted  that  he  did  not  form  an 
exalted  opinion  of  her. 

"  Now,  young  men,"  continued  the  doctor,  "  let  us 
have  a  familiar  talk  about  this  matter ;  it  is  one  of 
great  importance.  I  have  made  character  a  study 
all  my  life.  In  the  cars  and  stage-coach,  on  the 
steamer,  in  the  parlor  and  public  assembly,  I  have 
made  it  a  business  to  read  the  characters  of  men ; 
and  it  has  been  of  great  advantage  to  me.  I  am 
often  reading  a  stranger  with  whom  I  converse, 
when  he  don't  know  it.  Students  like  you,  especial- 
ly, should  study  character." 

"And  how  do  you  know  that  we  are  students?" 
interrupted  one  of  them. 

"Ah  !  that  is  it,"  answered  the  doctor ;  "  I  told 
you  that  I  had  made  character  a  study.  Both  of 
vou  are  students,  I  am  sure." 


WORK  IN  MASSACHUSETTS, 


199 


"It  is  so,"  remarked  one,  laughing. 

■■  And  you  are  collegians,  too,"  added  Dr.  Jewett. 

At  this  both  of  the  young  men  laughed  outright, 
one  of  them  saying,  "  Members  of  Princeton  Col- 
lege ;  but  how  can  you  tell  that?  " 

"*  Simply  by  observation,"  replied  the  doctor; 
"and  what  may  surprise  you  still  more,  perhaps,  I 
can  tell  to  what  classes  in  college  you  belong.  You 
are  a  Senior,"  putting  his  hand  upon  the  shoulder 
of  one,  "and  you  are  a  Sophomore," — putting  his 
hand  on  the  shoulder  of  the  other. 

The  doctor  had  "  hit  the  nail  on  the  head,"  as  he 
was  wont  to  do  in  boyhood ;  and  the  young  men 
were  as  astonished  as  they  were  pleased.  The  con- 
versation continued,  eliciting  the  deepest  interest  of 
the  students,  until  the  train  reached  Philadelphia, 
when  the  parties  separated,  warm-hearted  friends. 

Fifteen  years  and  more  elapsed ;  the  doctor  was 
lecturing  in  the  state  of  New  York,  where  he  met  a 
clergyman  on  the  platform  one  night,  who  said  to 
him,  after  the  lecture,  "  Dr.  Jewett,  I  suppose  that 
you  do  not  recollect  when  we  met." 

"  I  did  not  know  that  we  ever  met  before,"  the 
doctor  replied. 

"That  is  not  strange,"  responded  the  clergyman; 
"but  do  3^ou  remember  the  Senior  and  Sophomore 
students  to  whom  you  gave  a  gratuitous  lecture 
upon  reading  character,  in  the  cars,  going  to  Phila- 
delphia?" 

"  Certainly  I  do,"  answered  the  doctor. 

"Well,  I  am  the  Senior,"  continued  the  minister; 


200  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

*'  and  I  cannot  thank  you  enough,  Dr.  Jevvett,  for  the 
good  you  did  me  in  that  interview.  It  was  the  first 
counsel  I  had  ever  received  to  study  character,  and 
from  that  time  I  profited  by  it,  and  the  advantage  to 
me  has  been  better  than  one  year  in  college." 

Within  a  few  years  Dr.  Jewett  was  waiting  at  a 

depot  in  the  city  of  H .     While  there,  a  young 

gentleman  and  lady,  richly  attired,  came  in,  evi- 
dently to  take  the  next  train.  The  doctor  read 
them  both  within  a  few  minutes,  when  the  young 
man  went  out.  No  other  persons  were  in  the  room 
now  but  the  young  lady  and  himself. 

"  Will  you  excuse  an  old  man  if  he  shall  venture 
to  express  his  interest  in  your  welfare?"  said  the 
doctor  to  her. 

She  signified  that  such  an  act  would  not  only  be 
excusable,  but  that  she  would  esteem  it  a  favor  from 
so  venerable  a  gentleman. 

"  That  young  man  is  3^our  particular  friend,  I 
suppose  ? " 

She  admitted  that  he  was. 

"And  he  is  a  young  man  of  ability  and  many 
noble  traits,  I  have  no  doubt ;  but  do  you  know 
what  his  habits  are?" 

The  young  lady  blushed  and  was  silent,  and  the 
doctor  continued :  "  Far  be  it  from  me  to^  give  you 
pain.  God  knows  that  I  only  want  to  put  you  on 
your  guard.  But  that  young  man  is  fast  becoming 
intemperate,  whether  you  know  it  or  not.  I  think 
he  has  gone  out  now  for  a  dram." 


WORK  IN  MASSACHUSETTS.  201 

She  admitted  that  she  knew  he  was  in  the  habit 
of  using  intoxicating  drinks,  but  added  "they  all 
do." 

"Well,  I  have  two  daughters,"  the  doctor  an- 
swered, "  and  I  could  never  give  my  consent  for 
them  to  marry  young  men  who  thus  tamper  with 
strong  drink." 

The  girl  replied,  "If  the  young  ladies  of  the 
city  refuse  to  marry  young  men  who  drink  more  or 
less,  very  few  of  them  will  ever  be  married." 

These  incidents  show  how  great  was  Dr.  Jewett's 
ability  in  this  respect,  and  he  was  constantly  im- 
proving it.  He  endeavored,  also,  to  interest  others 
in  the  reading  of  character,  especially  young  people. 
When  travelHng  with  his  wife  and  children  on  car 
or  steamer,  and  when  in  the  crowded  assembly  wdth 
them,  he  directed  their  attention  to  certain  men  and 
women  for  this  purpose.  The  result  of  it,  too,  is 
seen  in  the  family  to-day.  It  was  a  trait  of  Dr.  Jew- 
ett's  character  to  make  those  around  him  familiar 
with  what  he  was  doing.  When  he  budded  or 
grafted  trees,  he  wanted  his  wife  and  sons  and 
daughters  to  understand  the  process  also.  Wlien 
he  planted  currants,  strawberries,  and  other  fruits, 
he  told  any  persons  who  were  with  him  just  how 
he  did  it,  and  why  he  did  it  so,  even  to  the  prepara- 
tion of  the  soil.  So  that  now  even  his  wife  and 
daughters  understand  all  such  things  better  than 
three-fourths  of  the  men ;  and  we  doubt  if  they  wdll 
consider  it  a  compromise  of  feminine  dignity  for 
the  author  to  say  that  they  can  'exhibit  the  most  cred- 


202  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETl. 

itable  proof  of  their  acquaintance  with  these  things 
within  their  well-dressed  garden. 

The  readiness  with  which  the  doctor  read  char- 
acter was  the  secret  of  his  singular  success  in  deal- 
ing with  all  sorts  of  men.  He  could  manage  any- 
thing human.     When  he  bought  his  farm  in  M 

he  was  warned  against  having  anything  to  do  with 
his  nearest  neighbor,  a  selfish,  ugly,  wicked  man, 
whose  hand  was  against  every  one.  "  The  only 
way  to  get  along  with  him  is  to  keep  away  from 
him,"  said  one.  "The  more  you  do  for  him,  the 
worse  he  will  treat  you,"  added  another. 

The  doctor  concluded  that  he  must  be  a  very 
peculiar  man,  if  all  this  were  true,  —  different  from 
any  man  he  ever  saw.  However,  he  resolved  to 
make  a  friend  of  that  strange  neighbor  ;  and  he  did. 
He  improved  every  opportunity  to  do  him  a  favor. 
When  he  saw  a  chance  to  render  him  any  service, 
he  did  not  let  it  slip.  He  carried  things  to  his  fam- 
ily. He  went  over  to  assist  him  whenever  he  saw 
that  an  extra  hand  would  be  especially  useful.  He 
let  him  know  how  glad  he  would  be  to  loan  him 
farming  utensils  and  other  articles.  At  first  the 
"  odd  stick  "  appeared  rather  crooked,  and  he  was 
crusty  and  gruffy,  and  the  doctor  heard  of  his  making 
remarks  not  particularly  complimentary.  But  when 
Dr.  Jewett  saw  that  his  gruffness  was  passing  off,  he 
knew  that  kindness  was  taking  effect.  The  result 
was  that  the  doctor  completely  won  him  over,  so 
that  he  became  one  of  the  best  of  neighbors.  When 
he  became  a  good  neighbor  to  Dr.  Jewett's  family, 


WORK  IN  MASSACHUSETTS.  203 


he  was  a  better  neighbor  to  everybody  else,  as  well 
as  a  better  citizen,  father,  and  husband.  When  the 
doctor  remo\  ed  from  the  town,  this  neighbor  volun- 
teered to  assist  him  in  the  extra  labors  imposed  ;  and 
subsequently  he  drew  largely  upon  his  native  vo- 
cabulary to  exp.-^ss  to  others  his  admiration  of  the 
man. 

Here  we  may  add  two  more  illustrations  of  the 
doctor's  power  of  imitation,  since  the  knowledge  of 
them  may  aid  the  reader  to  understand  some  other 
things  that  follow. 

Dr.  Jewett  was  travelling  with  a  friend  in  Penn- 
sylvania, when  their  conversation  turned  upon  his 
ability  to  personate  the  di-unkard. 

"  I  have  no  doubt  that  I  can  deceive  the  conduc- 
tor of  this  train,"  remarked  the  doctor,  "  so  that  he 
will  take  me  to  be  a  drunken  man,  and  put  me  off 
at  the  next  stopping-place,  if  I  carry  the  matter  so 
far.'^ 

"  Try  it,  try  it,"  said  his  friend,  eager  to  enjoy  the 
sport. 

When  the  conductor  appeared  for  the  tickets,  the 
doctor  was  apparently  pretty  drunk ;  enough  so,  at 
least,  to  be  independent  and  saucy ;  so  that  it  be- 
came an  easy  matter  to  get  into  trouble  with  him 
over  his  ticket,  which,  if  we  remember,  he  refused 
to  show.  The  conductor  denounced  him  as  "  a  mis- 
erable drunken  fellow,"  and  declared  that  he  would 
put  him  off  at  the  next  station.  And  sure  enough, 
when  the  train  stopped,  the  conductor  dashed  into 
the   car,  with  one   of  his  brakemen,  to  execute  his 


204  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEVVETT. 

threat ;  but  he  could  not  find  the  drunken  man.  He 
found  his  seat,  and  the  passenger  whom  he  thought 
was  insolently  drunk ;  but  everybody  was  sober 
now.  Passengers  by  this  time  understood  the  game 
played,  and  they  enjoyed  the  conductor's  confusion 
exceedingly.  The  latter  soon  learned,  however, 
from  the  demonstration  around  him,  that  he  was  the 
victim  of  a  well-laid  plot,  and  he  withdrew  from  the 
scene  as  gracefully  as  the  circumstances  would  per- 
mit. 

A  few  years  since.  Dr.  Jewett  attended  a  national 
temperance  convention  at  Saratoga  Springs.  Sev- 
eral clergymen  and  Christian  laymen  stopped  where 
the  doctor  was  entertained.  At  the  dining-table  some 
one  remarked  upon  Dr.  Jewett's  ability  to  personate 
the  drunkard.  This  remark  led  to  a  trial  of  his 
skill  on  that  day.  A  certain  shop  near  by  was 
selected,  where  knickknacks  were  sold,  as  w-ell  as 
intoxicating  liquors.  The  doctor  was  to  play  the 
role  of  a  drunkard  in  that  shop,  to  which  the  clergy- 
men and  one  or  two  others  would  repair  in  advance. 
They  would  be  making  some  small  purchases 
when  the  doctor  should  arrive.  The  programme 
was  carried  out  to  the  letter,  and  the  doctor  staggered 
into  the  shop,  waiting  at  one  corner  of  the  room  for 
the  proprietor  to  get  through  with  his  clerical  cus- 
tomers. Apparently  impatient,  however,  he  finally 
motioned  to  the  trader  with  his  finger,  to  which  no 
attention  was  paid.  Putting  on  the  air  of  afii'ont  at 
the  intentional  neglect,  the  doctor  belched  out  his 
opinion  of  a  man  who  would  so  tre?t  a  customer 


WORK  IN  MASSACHUSETTS.  205 

coming  for  a  glass  of  brandy ;  whereupon  the  trader 
ordered  him  out  as  one  who  "  was  too  drunk  to  drink 
any  more,"  declaring  that  he  could  not  "  have  a  drop 
there." 

The  clergymen  had  now  reached  the  uttermost  limit 
of  self-control,  and  such  an  outburst  of  laughter  as 
astonished  the  well-meaning  merchant  was  a  rev- 
elation to  him.  At  the  same  time,  the  '^  miserable 
drunken  fellow  ''  was  suddenly  transformed,  as  if  by 
magic,  into  one  of  the  pleasantest,  most  affable, 
gentlemanly  visitors  the  proprietor  ever  met. 

An  explanation  of  the  ruse  followed,  and  the 
company  retired,  with  the  verdict  upon  all  lips, 
that  in  personating  the  drunkard,  Dr.  Jewett  was 
"perfect." 

He  was  very  tenacious  in  his  views  respecting  the 
effect  of  alcohol  upon  the  reasoning  faculties  of  even 
the  moderate  drinker.  He  claimed  that  any  man, 
however  intelligent  or  able,  was  blinded  by  his  ap- 
petite to  the  influence  of  narcotics  upon  his  reason- 
ing powers.  In  a  lecture  in  Franklin  County, 
Massachusetts,  he  put  the  matter  in  the  following 
characteristic  manner,  as  amusing  as  it  was  instruc- 
tive.    He  said : 

'-''  I  doubt  whether  it  be  in  the  power  of  the  strongest 
intellect  to  reason  as  soundly  in  relation  to  an  unnatural 
appetite,  to  which  the  individual  has  become  subject,  as 

upon  other  matters A  good  old  lady  who  had  been 

an  extravagant  user  of  snuff  for  many  years,  when  urged 
to  abandon  the  habit  on  account  of  its  tendency  to  injure 
the  voice,  exclaimed,  with  a  peculiar  nasal  twang  [heve 


2o6  L^FE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

the  doctor  imitated  the  old  lady  perfectly,  bringing 
down  the  house  tumultuously]  :  '  I  do't  believe  a  si'gle 
word  of  it,  for  I  hab  took  s'uff  for  twe'ty  years,  and 
my  voice  is  chest  as  clear  now  as  it  was  whe'  I  com- 
me'ced.'  The  good  lady  was  mistaken.  She  could  neither 
hear  nor  reason  correctly  in  relation  to  snuff  and  its  influ- 
ences. Had  you  consulted  her  on  other  subjects,  I  doubt 
not  that  she  would  have  exhibited  powers  of  observation 
and  reason  quite  respectable. 

"  Often,  while  travelling,  with  my  pockets  full  of  choice 
apples,  and  in  company  with  some  friend,  I  have  offered 
to  share  with  him  their  contents,  and  received  for  answer, 
*No,  I  thank  you,  I  have  tobacco  in  my  mouth.*  Poor 
soul !  and  so  he  must  deny  himself  delicious  fruit,  that  he 
might  masticate   a  filthy  weed,  which  we  put  around  our 

squash-vines  to  keep  off  the  bugs Luscious  fruits 

never  afford  to  organs  of  taste,  whose  sensibilities  have 
been  blunted  by  narcotics,  that  exquisite  pleasure  they 
afford  to  a  healthy  palate. 

"  A  clergyman  in  Essex  County,  Mass.,  who  had  an 
abundance  of  delicious  grapes  in  the  autumn,  took  a  friend, 
from  Boston,  educated  but  intemperate,  into  his  garden,  to 
feast  him  on  the  ripe  fruit.  He  picked  a  bunch  here  and 
a  bunch  there,  of  different  kinds,  for  him,  but  soon  found 
that  he  did  not  eat  them.  '  My  dear  sir,'  he  exclaimed, 
'  do  eat  them,  and  eat  them  freely  ;  they  are  fully  ripe,  and 
can't  hurt  you  ;  and  there  is  abundance  of  them.'  The 
unfortunate  man  looked  up  in  his  face,  and  with  the  most 
lugubrious  expression  imaginable  replied  : 

"•'  *  You  are  very  kind ;  but  do  you  not  think  such 
thiizgs  are  rather  cold  to  the  stojnach  ?  * 

*'  Poor  man  !  "  added  the  doctor,  "  he  had  scorched  the 
coats  of  his  stomach  with  the  fiery  products  of  Hie  still 
until   he   had   no  relish  for  the  most  luscious  fruits  which 


WORK  IN  MASSACHUSETTS. 


207 


God  has  given  for  our  sustenance  and  enjoyment.  '  Rather 
cold  for  the  stomach  !  '  Mr,  President,  you  and  I,  with 
palates  and  stomachs  uncursed  by  alcohol,  will  not  com- 
plain of  the  coldness  of  delicious  peaches,  or  a  basket  of 
grapes,  whose  purple  jackets  are  bursting  from  the  pres- 
sure of  the  rich  juices  they  contain." 

Dr.  Jewett  lectured  in  a  thriving  country  village 
one  night,  when  he  used  "  the  wagon-maker  "  for  an 
illustration,  not  knowing  that  a  prominent  citizen  on 
the  platform  belonged  to  that  craft.  The  illustra- 
tion lost  none  of  its  force  on  that  account.    He  said  : 

"All  useful  trades  and  occupations  among  men,  if 
properly  followed,  may  exist  in  the  same  community 
without  clashing  or  collision,  while  many  of  them  sustain 
a  truly  fraternal  relationship  to  each  other.  The  wagon- 
maker,  for  instance  — "  [Here  laughter  began,  and  the 
citizen  on  the  platform  looked  as  if  he  was  not  sitting  there 
to  furnish  an  illustration  for  the  speaker.] 

The  doctor  waited  for  the  sensation  to  cease,  when 
he  continued : 

"  I  am  inclined  to  the  opinion,  from  certain  indications, 
that  I  have  one  of  that  class  of  tradesmen  near  me.  If 
so,  he  will  understand  my  argument.  While  the  wagon- 
maker  is  shaping  and  putting  together  the  various  parts 
which  enter  into  the  construction  of  a  wagon,  he  is  think- 
ing only  of  executing  a  valuable  piece  of  work,  and 
receiving  for  it  a  valuable  consideration  ;  and  yet  he  is 
doing  service  to  his  neighbors.  When  he  has  finished  his 
work,  the  wagon  must  be  ironed  ;  and  the  blacksmith  now 
gets  a  good  job.  He  also,  while  performing  his  part  of 
the  labor,  is  intent  mainly  on  doing  a  good  piece  of  work, 


2o8  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 


and  receiving  for  it  a  valuable  consideration  ;  but  he  in 
turn  is  prf^paring  work  for  another,  for  now  the  wagon 
must  be  painted.  The  painter  takes  his  turn  ;  and  before 
the  horse  can  be  attached  to  it,  the  harness-maker  comes 
in  for  his  share  of  the  labor  and  the  profits.  Thus  it  is,  to 
a  greater  or  less  extent,  with  all  useful  trades  and  occu- 
pations ;  they  are  brothers,  and  work  together  harmoni- 
ously. But  let  us  see.  Does  the  grogseller  sustain  a 
legitimate  relationship  to  this  family  of  brothers?  By  no 
means.  His  vocation  is  that  of  a  perfect  Ishmaelite.  Its 
hand  is  against  every  man,  and  every  man's  hand  should 
be  against  it." 

A  round  of  applause  greeted  the  doctor  at  this 
point,  in  which  the  "wagon-maker"  joined  with 
particular  gusto. 

Dr.  Jewett  had  a  way  of  enforcing  an  important 
truth,  often,  by  using  the  testimony  of  drinkers  them-, 
selves.  In  his  lecture,  at  one  time,  speaking  of  the 
social  element  in  drinking-clubs  and  parties,  he 
urged  the  necessity  of  observing  Vv^hat  sort  of  asso- 
ciates are  found  in  such  society.  He  thought  the 
"  game  would  not  pay  for  the  powder,"  and  illustrated 
his  statement  by  the  following  incident : 

"  I  stopped  at  an  hotel,"  said  the  doctor,  "  where  I  saw 
'Joe  '  and  '  Bill '  in  the  bar-room.  The  parties  were  sitting 
very  close  together,  and  at  the  opening  of  the  colloquy. 
Bill  brought  his  big,  dirty  hand  down  pretty  smartly  upon 
Joe's  knee,  to  render  him  wide  awake  to  the  importance 
of  the  question  he  was  about  to  ask. 

*' '  See  here,  Joe,'  said  Bill,  '  how  much  money  (hie)  do 
you  reckon  you  and  I  have  spent  in  this  old  place,  first 
and  last.?' 


WORK  IN  MASSACHUSlLTTS. 


209 


"  *  Well,  I  dunno,*  replied  Joe. 

"  '  Nor  I,  nuther,  exactly/  continued  Rill ;  '  but  I  reckon 
we've  (hie)  spent  in  this  old  place,  first  and  last,  drinkin' 
and  treatin'  and  sich  like,  as  much  as  six  hundred  dol- 
lars ! ' 

'^  'Well,  I  guess  we  have,'  responded  Joe. 

"  '  Well,  I  guess  we  have,  too,'  said  Bill.  '  But  what 
of  that?  Let  her  go!  Who  cares?  It's  gone,  and  we 
can't  git  it  back  again  ;  but  we  had  some  pretty  good 
times  while  it  (hie)  was  goin',  —  didn't  we?  and  made  a 
good  many  friends  in  that  way,  drinkin'  and  treatin',  and 
sich  like/ 

"  'Yes,  that's  sartin,  and  no  mistake,'  replied  Joe. 

"  '  Now,  Joe,'  continued  Bill,  '  I'll  tell  you  what  I'm 
thinking  of.  If,  no-w^  we  could  sell  all  the  friends  we 
made  in  that  way,  drinkin'  and  treatin*,  and  sich  like,  foi 
one-half  \M\\?i\.  they  cost  us,  shouldn't  we  make  a  specu- 
lation ? ' 

"Joe  indorsed  the  opinion,  and  had  a  loud  laugh  over 
it ;    and  thus  the  discussion  ended. 

"  That  fellow's  head  is  level,  thought  I,  if  he  is  drunk." 

Dr.  Jewett  sometimes  applied  the  word  "suckers," 
facetiously,  to  excessive  drinkers,  though  he  never 
forgot  to  explain  by  citing  the  occasion  that  fur- 
nished it,  as  follows  :  He  lectured  in  a  wide-awake 
manufacturing  village  of  Massachusetts,  w-here  the 
pond  had  been  drawn  off  the  previous  w^eek  for  the 
purpose  of  repairing  the  dam.  The  people  of  the 
village  had  enjoyed  a  good  time  in  scooping  up 
suckers  and  other  fish  from  the  race-way.  Bushels 
of  these  excellent  fish  were  "  scooped  "  up,  and  the 
inhabitants  had  thought  of  little  but  "  suckers  "  for 
14 


2IO  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

several  days,  —  suckers  pickled,  fried,  stewed,  and 
boiled.  When  the  villagers  gathered  in  the  old 
meeting-house  that  night  (an  unusual  number  of 
hard  drinkers  had  been  button-holed  by  leading  citi- 
zens and  persuaded  to  come),  a  layman,  uncultured 
but  good,  w^as  called  upon  to  open  the  meeting  with 
prayer.  He  besought  a  blessing  on  the  gathering, 
a  blessing  on  the  town,  on  "the  poor  lost  ones  before 
him,"  on  everything  under  the  sun,  in  fact,  till  it 
occurred  to  him  that  he  had  forgotten  the  speaker ; 
so  he  begged  the  divine  blessing  upon  him,  "  to 
make  him  instrumental  in  saving  many  souls ;  and 
may  he"  —  here  he  was  at  a  loss  for  the  right  word, 
evidently  thinking  of  the  habitual  drinkers  there  — 
"  and  may  he  "  —  hesitating,  but  soon  rallying  — 
"scoop  up  many  suckers  to-night !     Amen." 

The  doctor  said  that  no  sort  of  fishing  would 
please  him  better  than  "scooping  up  suckers." 

Often  the  most  dramatic  and  powerful  appeals 
followed  Dr.  Jewett's  wittiest  sallies.  At  the  fore- 
going meeting,  in  which  drunkards  and  "  suckers  " 
seem  to  have  been  mixed,  his  remarks  drifted  into 
one  of  his  ablest  and  most  serious  exposures  of  the 
sin  and  curse  of  the  license  system  ;  and  he  closed 
by  reciting  the  following  from  Cowper's  "Task,"  in 
a  manner  so  dramatic  and  eloquent,  that  his  au- 
dience seemed  to  be  enthused  with  his  own  spirit, 
and  broke  forth,  at  the  close,  into  the  most  tumultu- 
ous applause : 

"  Pass  where  we  may,  through  city  or  through  town, 
Village,  or  hamlet  of  this  merry  land, 


WORK  IN  MASSACHUSETTS.  21 1 

Though  lean  and  beggared,  every  twentieth  pace 

Conducts  the  unguarded  nose  to  suck  a  whiff 

Of  stale  debauch  forth-issuing  from  the  styes 

That  Law  has  licensed,  as  makes  Temperance  reel. 

There  sit  involved  and  lost  in  curling  clouds 

Of  Indian  fume,  and  guzzhng  deep,  the  boor, 

The  lackey,  and  the  groom.     The  craftsman  there 

Takes  lethean  leave  of  all  his  toil ; 

Smith,  cobbler,  joiner,  he  that  plies  the  shears, 

And  he  that  kneads  the  dough,  all  loud  alike. 

All  learned,  and  all  drunk.     The  fiddle  screams 

Plaintive  and  piteous,  as  it  wept  and  wailed 

Its  wasted  tunes  and  harmony  unheard. 

Dire  is  the  frequent  curse,  and  its  twin  sound. 

The  cheek-distending  oath.     'Tis  here  they  learn 

The  road  that  leads  from  competence  and  peace 

To  indigence  and  rapine  :  till  at  last 

Society,  grown  weary  of  the  load. 

Shakes  her  encumbered  lap,  and  casts  them  out. 

But  Censure  profits  little  :  vain  the  attempt 

To  advertise  in  verse  A  public  pest. 

That,  like  the  filth  with  which  the  peasant  feeds 

His  hungry  acres,  stinks,  and  is  of  use. 

Th'  excise  is  fattened  with  the  rich  result 

Of  all  this  riot.     The  ten  thousand  casks, 

Forever  dribbling  out  their  base  contents, 

Touched  by  the  Midas  finger  of  the  State, 

Bleed  gold,  for  Parliament  to  vote  away. 

Drink  and  be  mad,  then  •  'tis  your  country  bids  ; 

Gloriously  drunk  —  obey  the  important  call  ; 

Her  cause  demands  the  assistance  of  your  throats  ; 

Ye  all  can  swallow,  and  she  asks  no  more." 

Much  extra  labor  was  imposed  upon  Dr.  Jevvett 
in  consequence  of  his  abiHty  and  prominence.  He 
was  frequendy  invited  to  the  annual  meetings  of  the 
National  Temperance  Union  in  New  York,  and  to 


212  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT, 

kindred  conventions  in  other  states.  County  tem- 
perance societies  often  besought  his  presence  and 
speeches.  Clergymen  required  his  aid  on  special 
occasions,  to  promote  temperance  among  their  peo- 
ple. His  pen  was  frequently  brought  into  requi- 
sition to  answer  editorials  in  anti-temperance  papers, 
as  well  as  to  correct  grave  errors  respecting  the 
physical  effects  of  alcohol,  and  other  important 
phases  of  the  cause.  Thus  exhausting  extra  labors 
taxed  his  energies  severely,  though  he  enjoyed  the 
service  as  well  as  they  to  whom  it  was  rendered. 


INDEPENDENT  LABOR. 


213 


XI. 

INDEPENDENT   LABOR. 

THE  "Union"  was  so  much  crippled  by  the 
Washingtonian  movement  and  the  Sons  of 
Temperance,  that  Dr.  Jewett  resigned  in  1845,  pre- 
ferring independent  labor.  More  than  a  year  pre- 
vious his  editorial  labors  ceased  ;  the  "  Temperance 
Journal "  v^as  discontinued,  and  Daniel  Kimball, 
Esq.,  removed  his  "Temperance  Standard"  from 
Lovv^ell  to  Boston.  The  doctor's  resignation  was 
accepted  with  sincere  regret.  The  clergy  and 
Christian  people,  especially,  were  highly  gratified 
with  his  efficient  work. 

A  few  months  after  his  resignation  he  was  in- 
vited to  accept  an  agency  from  the  State  Temper- 
ance Society  of  New  Hampshire.  In  addition  to 
lecturing,  he  was  expected  to  edit  the  monthly 
organ  of  that  society,  "  The  Temperance  Banner." 
He  accepted  the  invitation  at  once,  because  he  saw 
a  wide  field  of  influence  there.  Most  of  the 
Washingtonian  societies  in  the  state  had  become 
extinct,  and  there  were  not  a  dozen  "  Divisions  of 
the  Sons  of  Temperance."  The  doctor  removed  his 
family  to  Concord  —  his  headquarters  —  and  com- 
menced his  labors  with  a  hopeful  spirit. 


214  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT. 

At  his  suggestion  the  society  adopted  the  plan  of 
labor  employed  in  Massachusetts.  Its  success  en- 
listed  the  interest  of  the  temperance  public  until  a 
crotchety  member  of  the  Board  interposed  substan- 
tial obstacles  by  his  opposition.  Dr.  Jewett  withstood 
the  hindrance  for  several  months  and  then  resigned, 
removing  his  family  to  Plainfield,  Connecticut.  At 
the  next  annual  meeting  of  the  society  the  offending 
member  was  censured  by  a  resolution  unanimously 
adopted,  and  he  was  not  re-elected  as  a  member  of 
the  Board.  A  motion  was  made  to  add  expulsion  to 
censure ;  but  it  was  withdrawn  at  the  instance  of  a 
witty  speaker. 

Temporarily  Dr.  Jewett  labored  in  Connecticut, 
after  leaving  New  Hampshire ;  but  the  temperance 
forces  were  so  disorganized  that  no  systematic  way 
of  raising  money  seemed  to  be  open,  and  he  turned 
aw^ay  from  the  field  disheartened.  At  that  juncture 
he  received  a  very  pressing  invitation  to  settle,  as 
physician,  in  a  flourishing  town  of  New  Haven 
County,  and  decided  to  accept  it,  after  having  made 
one  more  lecturing  visit  to  Massachusetts.  He  wrote 
his  purpose  to  a  temperance  paper  in  Worcester, 
Massachusetts,  adding  : 

"  Before,  however,  I  lay  down  the  teetotal  trumpet^  and 
talve  up  the  lancet  and  the  pill-box^  I  propose  to  visit  Mas 
sachnsetts,  and  spend  a  few  days  on  my  old  battle  ground, 
that  I  may  meet  once  more  old  friends  wilh  whom  I  liave 
so  long  labored." 

Immediately  he   received   several   invitations   to 
lecture,  one  of  them  from  Clintonville,  Massachu- 


INDEPENDENT  LABOR.  215 

setts.  After  the  close  of  his  address  in  that  village, 
a  number  of  gentlemen  gathered  around  him  to 
express  their  regrets  that  he  was  soon  to  leave  the 
lecture-field. 

"  Wh}^  must  you  do  it?"  said  one. 

"The  experience  of  the  last  two  years  proves 
that  mv  health  will  not  endure  the  labor  of  contin- 
ued  public  speaking  through  the  summer  months ; 
and  I  cannot  support  my  family  without  that  strain," 
was  the  doctor's  reply. 

"And  is  there  no  remedy  for  that?  "  inquired  an- 
other gentleman. 

"There  might  be,"  answered  the  doctor,  "  if  I 
were  able  to  purchase  a  small  farm,  from  the  culti- 
vation of  which,  in  the  summer  months,  I  might 
obtain  subsistence  for  my  family,  and  also  recruit 
my  wasted  energies  for  the  winter's  campaign." 

"  If  that  is  all  that  is  needed  to  keep  you  in  the 
field,"  responded  one  of  the  aforesaid  gentlemen, 
promptly,  "  then  you  shall  not  leave  tt.'^ 

Others  present  seconded  the  thought  so  happily 
expressed ;  and  on  that  evening  was  born  a  move- 
ment which  put  ONE  THOUSAND  dollars  into  the  doc- 
tor's hands,  as  a  tribute  to  his  philanthropy  and 
ability.  With  this  money,  and  a  few  hundred  dol- 
lars he  had  saved  by  close  economy,  he  purchased 
his  little  farm  in  Millbury,  Massachusetts,  and  re- 
moved thither  in  1849. 

One  of  the  first  acts  of  the  doctor,  on  removing  to 
Millbury,    was   to   publish   by  subscription  a   little 


2i6  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT. 

volume,  entitled,  "Speeches,  Poems,  and  Miscel- 
laneous Writings  on  Subjects  connected  with 
Temperance  and  the  Liquor  Traffic,"  * —  a  long 
title  for  so  small  a  book,  if  we  measure  it  by  dimen- 
sions instead  of  quality.  Estimated  by  the  quality^ 
the  title  well  becomes  the  book. 

During  the  first  year  of  the  doctor's  residence  in 
Millbury,  he  was  employed  a  month  in  Hampden 
Count}^  to  aid  in  an  earnest  attempt  to  elect 
county  commissioners  who  would  not  grant  licenses. 
Hampden  and  Suffolk  counties  were  the  only  ones 
that  continued  to  grant  licenses ;  and  no  attempt 
w^as  made  to  secure  a  change  in  Suffolk  against  the 
influence  of  the  anti-temperance  class  of  Boston. 

Dr.  Jewett  always  loved  "  to  beard  the  lion  in  his 
den ; "  so  he  enjoyed  his  labor  in  Hampden  County 
greatly.  He  stirred  up  the  country  tow^ns,  and 
closed  his  service  on  the  day  (Sunday)  before  the 
election  by  a  lecture  in  the  city  hall  of  Springfield 
to  a  crowded  audience.  Workmen  were  already 
engaged  in  enlarging  the  county  jail,  and  the  doctor 
said  to  his  hearers :  "  If  licenses  must  be  granted,  I 
commend  you  for  the  enlargement  of  your  jail,  for 
the  same  reason  that  I  would  commend  the  farmer, 
who,  while  planting  additional  acres,  puts  an  addition 
to  his  corn-crib."     The  applause    showed   that  the 

*  The  preface  to  the  volume  closed  with  these  words  :  "  I  com- 
mit this  little  volume  to  the  judgment  of  the  public  ;  and  in  doing 
so,  I  will  say  to  the  public,  concerning  the  book,  as  I  have  often 
said  of  a  dose  of  medicine  to  a  sick  friend,  '  If  you  can  only 
manage  to  swallow  it,  I  believe  it  will  do  you  good.'' " 


INDEPENDENT  LABOR, 


217 


audience  saw  the  point,  and  could  not  or  would  not 
withhold  their  approval,  though  it  was  Sunday- 
night. 

The  doctor  returned  to  his  home  on  INIonday  morn- 
ing. On  Tuesday  morning,  however,  he  was  so 
anx:ous  to  hear  the  result  of  the  election  in  Hamp- 
den County,  that  he  harnessed  his  horse  early,  and 
drove  over  to  Worcester  to  get  the  first  news  from 
Springfield.  As  soon  as  the  cars  entered  the  depot 
he  stepped  aboard,  and  inquired  if  any  passenger 
could  let  him  see  the  Springfield  Republican.  No 
one  near  by  appeared  to  have  a  copy,  but  a  gentle- 
man unc^erjtood  at  once  the  cause  of  Dr.  Jewett's 
anxiety,  and  he  said,  "I  suppose  that  you  want 
news  from  the  election  yesterday,  doctor?" 

"You  ar^^  right,  sir,"  replied  the  doctor;  "that  is 
exactly  wliat  I  want  just  now." 

"Well,"  he  continued,  "  I  am  not  one  of  your  cold- 
water  folks,  and  I  did  all  I  could  to  defeat  them, 
but  they  elected  their  ticket  by  about  one  thousand 
majority  in  the  county." 

''  Thank  you,  sir,  for  the  information,"  responded 
the  doctor,  "  and  I  thank  God  for  the  result."  And 
without  cracking  a  joke,  or  quoting  poetry,  he 
rushed  out  of  the  car,  sprang  into  his  carriage,  and 
drove  home  at  unusual  speed,  to  tell  his  wife,  as 
Abraham  Lincoln  did  when  he  received  the  nomi- 
nation for  President. 

Nor  was  this  the  end  of  it.  A  few  months  after- 
wards the  friends  in  Springfield  invited  him  to  spend 
another  Sabbath  in  that  city,  and  lecture  at  City 


2i8  1-^^E  OF  CHARLES  JEWET'I. 

Hall  in  the  evening.  Mr.  Ingercoll,  then  paymas- 
ter of  the  United  States  Armory,  entertained  him, 
and  on  Sabbath  morning  said  to  the  doctor,  "  I  am 
superintendent  of  the  Sabbath  school  in  our  county 
jail,  and  if  you  will  go  with  me  this  morning  and 
address  the  prisoners,  I  will  omit  the  usual  exer- 
cises." 

The  doctor  promised,  and  at  the  appointed  hour 
was  sitting  before  a  congregation  of  prisoners.  Dur- 
ing the  first  singing,  Mr.  Ingersoll  whispered  to 
him,  "Dr.  Jewett,  you  never  addressed  such  an  au- 
dience as  this." 

"  Oh  yes,  I  have  repeatedly,"  the  doctor  answered. 
"  I  have  addressed  the  inmates  of  both  state  and 
county  prisons,  and  where  my  audience  was  five 
times  as  large  as  this." 

"  Grant  all  that,"  replied  Mr.  Ingersoll  with  a  gra- 
cious smile,  "  I  still  insist  that  you  have  never  ad- 
dressed such  an  audience." 

"Well,  what  is  there  so  very  peculiar  about  this 
audience?  "  asked  Dr.  Jewett. 

Putting  his  lips  close  to  the  doctor's  ear,  he  whis- 
pered, "  A  large  portion  of  the  congregation  before 
you  are  liquor-sellers,  sent  here  for  violation  of  the 
law." 

At  that  time  the  penalty  for  selling  without  license 
was  imprisonment  for  the  third  offence ;  and  the 
temperance  men  of  the  county  had  been  very  busy 
in  arresting  and  convicting  offenders. 

Dr.  Jewett  enjoyed  the  scene  after  learning  the 
foregoing  facts.     He  had  done  more  than  any  other 


INDEPENDENT  LABOR.  219 

man  to  stir  up  the  people  to  punish  rumsellers,  and 
the  fruit  of  his  labors  was  before  him.  He  ques- 
tioned, however,  whether  it  was  not  too  great  an 
infliction  to  add  to  their  incarceration  an  address 
by  the  man  who  did  so  much  to  put  them  there,  and 
who  rejoiced  to  see  them  in  that  situation.  But  it 
was  a  good  opportunity  to  instruct  them.  He  never 
enjoyed  such  an  opportunity  before,  and  he  improved 
it.  A  large  number  of  the  rumsellers  of  Hampden 
County  were  addressed  by  Dr.  Jewett  in  1849 ! 

At  the  time  Dr.  Jewett  removed  to  Millbury,  he 
had  visited  different  portions  of  our  country  on  lec- 
turing tours.  He  had  spoken  in  all  the  New  Eng- 
land states,  in  all  the  Western  states  east  of  the 
Mississippi,  and  in  several  other  states.  He  had 
been  several  times  into  the  British  Provinces.  On 
one  of  his  visits  to  the  provinces  a  passenger  in  the 
stage  called  his  attention  to  a  singular  tavern-sign, 
at  one  of  the  stopping  places  on  the  route.  The 
sign  was  a  rude  painting  of  a  bee-hive,  with  this 
verse  under  it : 

"  Within  this  hive  we're  all  alive  ; 
Good  liquor  makes  us  funny; 
As  you  pass  by,  step  in  and  try 
The  flavor  of  our  honey." 

The  doctor  proposed,  on  the  spot,  an  improve- 
ment of  the  sign  to  his  fellow-traveller.  He  drew  a 
pigeon  plucked,  and  changed  the  verses,  saying, 
"You  will  find  that  I  have  preserved  a  part  of  the 
very  prett)^  rhyme  of  the  original,  only  exchanging 


220  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

"  honey "   for   "  money,"   which    is    not   a  bad   ex* 
change  if  one  is  fond  of  sweets." 

"  We've  liquors  here  of  every  kind, 
And  sell  them  cheap,  as  you  shall  find. 

They'll  make  you  feel  quite  funny ; 
Perhaps  they'll  sprawl  you  on  the  floor, 
If  so,  we'll  kick  you  out  the  door, 
After  we've  got  your  money." 

On  a  visit  to  Connecticut  he  w^as  introduced  to  a 
scene  that  served  him  thereafter  as  a  commentary 
upon  a  clause  of  the  passage  in  Proverbs  23  :  35,  — 
"  They  have  beaten  me^  and  I  felt  it  not^''  spoken  of 
the  drunkard  who  does  not  realize  the  work  of  his 
ruin. 

At  the  close  of  his  lecture  in  a  thriving  town;  a 
gentleman  approached  him  pleasantly  and  said  : 
"  Dr.  Jewett,  I  want  to  exact  a  service  of  you  before 
you  leave  town." 

"If  possible,  I  will  gladly  perform  it,"  replied  the 
doctor;  "what  is  it?" 

"Well,"  continued  the  citizen,  with  some  diffidence 
and  in  a  low  tone,  "  I  have  a  brother  in  this  village, 
a  man  of  much  intelligence  and  considerable  wealth. 
He  lives  yonder"  (pointing)  "in  a  large  nice  house ; 
he  is  not  a  drunkard,  but  I  fear  that  he  may  be ;  he 
drinks  considerable.  I  wish  you  would  call  upon 
him  in  the  morning,  and  talk  with  him." 

The  doctor  promised,  and  in  the  morning  called. 
The  gentleman  met  him  at  the  door  with  the  most 
cordial  greeting,  asking  him  into  the  sitting-room, 


INDEPENDENT  LABOR.  221 

and  saying,  before  the  doctor  had  fairly  seated 
himself:  "  Dr.  Jewett,  I  am  glad  to  see  you  in  our 
village ;  and  I  want  to  ask  you  to  call  on  my 
brother  before  you  leave  town  ;  he  lives  yonder  '* 
(going  to  the  window  and  pointing  to  the  dwell- 
ing) ;  "he  is  not  intemperate,  though  he  drinks 
much  ;  and  he  is  too  valuable  a  man  to  sacrifice 
himself  in  this  way." 

"  Neither  of  these  brothers  could  see  himself,  but 
each  could  see  the  other.  *  Wine  is  a  mocker,'  '* 
said  Dr.  Jewett. 

From  the  time  the  doctor  became  a  citizen  of  Mill- 
bury  he  identified  himself  with  all  that  was  necessary 
to  promote  the  welfare  of  tow^n  and  church.  The 
schools,  the  lyceum,  the  library,  and  whatever  else 
was  indispensable  to  social  and  intellectual  growth, 
enlisted  his  deepest  interest.  Especially  the  moral 
and  spiritual  growth  of  the  community  absorbed  his 
attention.  He  and  his  family  united  with  the  Con- 
gregational church  and  societ}'',  under  the  pastoral 
care  of  Rev.  Leverett  Griggs  (now  Dr.  Griggs,  of 
Bristol,  Connecticut).  The  service  which  the  doc- 
tor and  family  rendered  to  both  pastor  and  people 
was  highly  esteemed. 

Dr.  Jewett's  wit,  humor,  talents,  piety,  and  tact, 
became  an  element  in  the  social,  intellectual,  and 
moral  condition  of  the  town.  How  prominent  he 
was  in  this  regard  may  be  learned  from  a  very  in- 
teresting letter  from  Dr.  Griggs,  penned  since  the 
preparation  of  this  work  was  commenced.  The 
letter  shows  the  doctor's  remarkable  ability  to  read 


222  LIFE    OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

character,  and  his  tact  in  dealing  with  men,  while 
his  poetic  taste  and  dramatic  powers  appear  in  his 
extemporaneous  lecture  upon  the  great  English  poet, 
Shakespeare : 

"Bristol,  May  28,  1S79. 
*'  Rev.  W.  M.  Thayer  : 

"  Dear  Sir:  It  is  with  pleasure  I  pen  a  few  thoughts 
respecting  Dr.  Charles  Jewett.  He  was  a  parishioner  of 
mine,  very  much  respected  and  beloved,  the  few  years  he 
resided  in  Millbury,  Mass. 

"  I  had  often  seen  extracts  from  his  speeches  and  poems 
illustrating  his  genius,  his  wit,  and  sarcasm  ;  but  I  had 
never  seen  the  doctor  himself  till  be  became  one  of  our 
people.  When  I  heard  he  was  in  tov^rn,  negotiating  for  a 
home  among  us,  I  inquired,  with  no  concealed  anxiety, 
about  his  religious  principles.  If  he  were  of  that  class 
who  have  an  exalted  view  of  human  nature  and  a  low 
estimate  of  the  cliaracter  and  atonement  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  I  was  ready  to  pray,  '  Good  Lord,  deliver  us.'  On 
making  his  acquaintance,  I  found  the  doctor  one  of  the 
most  genial,  warm-hearted,  child-like.  Christian  men  I 
have  ever  known.  He  was  in  sympathy  with  evangelical 
religion  and  all  benevolent  enterprises  to  spread  that  reli- 
gion through  the  land  and  the  world.  He  would  often 
speak  and  pray  in  our  social  meetings  in  his  peculiarly 
simple  and  familiar  manner,  so  as  to  awaken  a  deep 
interest. 

"  Important  as  was  the  subject  of  temperance  in  his  view, 
it  was  not  all  that  a  man  needed.  Dr.  Jewett  labored  first 
of  all  to  exorcise  the  demon  of  intemperance,  and  then 
lead  men  to  Christ.  When  he  came  to  Millbury,  one  of 
his  nearest  neighbors  was  almost  ruined  by  rum.  He  was 
a  man  at  the  head  of  an  interesting  family,  of  fair  talents, 
many  noble  traits  of  character,  and  capable  of  great"  useful- 


INDEPENDENT  LABOR. 


223 


ness.  The  doctor  made  his  acquaintance,  gained  his  con- 
fidence and  esteem,  and  engaged  in  earnest  for  his  refor- 
mation. He  was  successful  —  successful  in  restoring  that 
man  to  himself,  to  his  family,  and  to  his  God.  That  neigh- 
bor became  an  honored  citizen,  the  first  selectman  in  the 
town,  a  worth}'  member  of  the  church,  and  after  many 
years  of  exemplary  and  useful  life  he  died  in  the  Lord. 

"  When  abroad  on  a  lecturing  tour  one  time,  the  doctor 
met  with  a  brilliant  young  man  who  was  a  skeptic.  He 
spent  several  hours  with  him  in  friendly  and  earnest  con- 
versation on  the  foundation  of  our  holy  religion.  Months 
after,  that  young  man  wrote  a  letter  expressing  his  grati- 
tude to  Dr.  Jewett  for  his  kindly  fidelity,  and  saying  his 
doubts  and  difficulties  were  all  removed,  and  he  was  re- 
joicing in  that  liberty  with  which  Christ  makes  free.  No 
labor  that  the  doctor  ever  performed  was  remembered 
with  more  satisfaction  than  this. 

"  But  few  Christian  parents  are  to  their  households  what 
Dr.  Jewett  and  his  most  estimable  wife  were  to  theirs. 
They  were  blessed  with  a  numerous  family  —  thirtee^t 
children.  They  endeavored  to  walk  before  their  house 
with  a  perfect  heart,  and  bring  up  their  children  in  the 
nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord.  The  Bible  was 
studied,  the  God  of  the  Bible  was  worshipped,  and  reli- 
gion was  illustrated  as  something  real,  good,  and  unspeak- 
ably precious.  Their  family  life  was  full  of  enterprise, 
energy,  aspiration,  mutual  love  and  helpfulness.  What 
was  the  result?  All  the  children  that  grew  up  to  years 
of  discretion,  early  chose  that  good  part  which  shall  never 
be  taken  away  from  them.  One  more  than  half,  if  I 
remember  aright,  preceded  the  father  to  that  other  and 
better  country  ;  the  surviving  portion  are  in  different  and 
distant  parts  of  the  world,  serving  their  generation  by  the 
will  of  God. 


224  L^F^   OP'  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

"  Dr.  Jewett  was  ready  for  almost  any  emergency.  In 
Millbury  we  were  generally  favored  with  a  course  of  lec- 
tures in  the  winter.  On  one  occasion  a  large  assembly 
convened,  but  the  expected  lecturer  did  not  come.  Inquiry 
was  made  of  the  doctor  whether  he  would  consent  to 
address  the  audience.  No  one,  I  presume,  expected  any- 
thing but  a  temperance  talk.  He  rose  and  delighted  that 
audience  for  a  full  hour,  with  an  exceedingly  entertaining 
lecture  on  Shakespeare.  He  quoted  lengthy  passages,  and 
represented  the  different  characters  as  but  few  men  are 
able  to  do.  The  lecture  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  very 
best  of  the  season. 

"  Dr.  Jewett's  powers  of  imitation  exceeded  that  of  any 
other  man  I  have  ever  known.  Only  suggest  what  you 
desired,  and  you  would  have  it  to  the  life  —  whether  speech 
of  judge,  lawyer,  doctor,  or  divine.  The  last  time  the 
doctor  was  with  us  he  dropped  out  his  teeth  and  read  to 
us  Tennyson's  '  Grandmother.^  Shut  your  eyes  and  you 
would  think  it  must  be  the  voice  of  an  old  woman  telling 
the  story  of  seventy  years  ago.  He  also  gave  us  a  speci- 
men of  Thomas  P.  Hunt's  eloquence.  As  we  had  sev- 
eral times  heard  that  wonderful  minister  and  temperance 
advocate,  it  afforded  us  special  pleasure.  We  heard  his 
sententious  words,  his  peculiar  enunciation,  tones,  and  in- 
flections.    In  short,  it  was  Thomas  P.  Hunt  to  the  life. 

"  When  Dr.  Jewett  and  his  excellent  family  removed 
from  Millbury,  one  of  the  strong  ties  that  bound  us  to  that 
beautiful  village  was  loosened ;  and  now  that  he  is  gone 
to  '  that  bourn  whence  no  traveller  returns,'  earth  is 
losing  its  attractions,  and  heaven  is  becoming  more  at- 
tractive. 

"  Yours  truly, 

"  L.  Griggs." 


indepilndent  labor.  225 

The  doctor  was  lecturing  in  Vermont  in  the  win- 
ter. He  had  taken  his  seat  in  a  coach  at  a  certain 
pubHc-house,  when  he  overheard  the  driver  say  to 
a  drunken  man,  who  was  trying  to  get  upon  the 
box : 

"You  will  freeze  to  death  up  there;  you  have 
been  drinking." 

"How  is  that,  driver?"  interrupted  the  doctor, 
rather  surprised  to  hear  a  true  temperance  sentiment 
expressed  so  emphatically  by  a  stage-driver.  "  Did 
you  say  that  the  man  would  freeze  all  the  quicker 
for  having  rum  inside  ?  " 

"Yes,"  answered  the  driver;  "freeze  as  quick 
again." 

"That's  queer,"  responded  Dr.  Jewett ;  "from 
time  immemorial  it  has  been  held  that  rum  will  keep 
the  cold  out." 

"  Held  by  people  who  don't  know  any  better," 
retorted  the  driver. 

"  Do  not  stage-drivers  generally  take  liquor  to 
keep  them  warm  in  winter?"  inquired  the  doctor, 
eager  to  draw  out  more  real  temperance  sentiment 
from  a  practical  man. 

"I  suppose  they  do,"  replied  the  driver;  "and 
that  is  not  the  only  foolish  thing  that  drivers  do." 

"Well,"  continued  Dr.  Jewett,  "I  will  try  your 
theory.  The  stage  is  full ;  I  will  get  out  and  ride 
on  the  box  with  you ;  and  the  man  with  rum  in  him 
shall  have  my  seat." 

So  the  doctor  jumped  out  and  assisted  the  drunken 
man  into   his  seat,   then  mounted  the  box  with  the 

15 


226  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

driver,  rejoicing  in  his  heart  to  have  an  opportunity 
to  converse  v^ith  a  teetotal  stage-driver,  where  the 
thermometer  was  thirty  degrees  below  zero. 

He  made  himself  known  to  the  driver,  and  assured 
hirn  that  his  views  accorded  perfectly  with  physi- 
ological science.  A  pleasant  and  profitable  inter- 
change of  thought  between  them  on  the  trip  proved 
better  than  whiskey  to  keep  out  the  cold.  The  doc- 
tor was  learner  as  well  as  teacher  on  that  occasion, 
for  the  driver's  experience  furnished  him  with  many 
facts  for  future  use. 

Afterwards  the  doctor  was  in  the  British  Prov- 
inces, at  a  bitter  cold  time,  and  he  was  booked  for 
a  ride  of  thirty  miles  in  the  stage.  The  driver  came 
in,  and  going  up  to  the  bar,  dropped  a  remark  about 
his  "warming-up  "  glass. 

"  Freezing-up  glass,  rather,"  responded  the  doc- 
tor, jocosely,  who  heard  the  remark. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  that?  "  inquired  the  driver, 
who  was  a  jolly  sort  of  a  fellow. 

"  I  mean  that  a  glass  of  liquor  exposes  you  more 
to  the  cold  than  anything  you  can  take,"  replied  the 
doctor.  "  Better  drink  a  glass  of  cold  water  if  you 
don't  want  to  freeze." 

"Do  you  mean  to  say  that  liquor  won't  keep  the 
cold  out?"  said  the  driver,  evidently  surprised  at 
the  doctor's  statement. 

"Yes,  that  is  just  what  I  mean,"  answered  the 
doctor. 

"Well,"  continued  the  driver,  rather  disgusted 
with  what  he  thought  was  the  remark  of  an  ignora- 


INDEPENDENT  LABOR. 


227 


mus ;  ''  it  is  precious  little  about  driving  a  stage  that 
you  know." 

"  It  is  precious  little  about  the  philosophy  of  heat 
and  cold  that  you  know  if  you  think  that  a  glass  of 
liquor  will  keep  out  the  cold,"  retorted  the  doctor, 
pleasant]  y;  and  he  cited  the  case  of  the  teetotal 
driver  in  Vermont.  "Come  now,  my  good  fellow," 
continued  the  doctor,  "just  try  it  for  one  trip;  let 
your  grog  go  this  time,  and  prove  my  declaration 
that  you  can  withstand  the  cold  better  without  than 
with  intoxicating  liquors.  It  is  the  last  stuff  I  should 
think  of  taking  to  help  me  through  a  cold  ride." 

"  And  I  shouldn't  think  of  taking  it  if  I  rode  inside 
the  stage  as  you  do,"  replied  the  driver. 

"But  I  will  ride  on  the  outside  of  the  stage  with  you," 
retorted  the  doctor,  "  and  we  will  see  if  a  teetotaler 
can't  withstand  as  much  cold  as  a  rum-drinker." 

"You  will  freeze  before  you  get  half-way  there," 
said  the  driver.  "  You  haven't  clothes  enough  on 
your  back  to  keep  the  frost  out  one  hour." 

The  doctor  was  clothed  with  his  usual  winter 
dress,  though  he  was  not  clad  for  such  an  exposure. 
But  he  was  just  the  man  for  such  an  emergency. 
He  went  on  and  explained  to  the  driver  the  heat- 
generating  powers  of  the  body,  and  the  philosophy 
of  preserving  and  utilizing  the  heat,  and  closed  by 
saying,  in  his  laughing  way  : 

"  Come  now,  driver,  just  prove  by  this  trip  whether 
I  am  a  fool  or  not.  Good  digestion,  good  circula- 
tion, a  good  conscience,  good  company,  and  your 
buffalo-robe,  will  keep  you  as  warm  as  toast." 


228  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT. 

The  result  was,  that  the  driver  agreed  to  go  with- 
out his  accustomed  dram,  and  the  doctor  mounted 
the  box  with  him,  remarking,  as  the  horses  started, 

"If  you  expect  to  deliver  a  chunk  of  ice  at ,  you 

will  be  mistaken.  I  don't  propose  to  end  my  career 
by  freezing." 

Dr.  Jewett  enjoyed  that  ride.  It  was  another  trial 
of  his  teetotal  principles  :  water  was  pitted  against 
rum.  He  exerted  himself  to  the  utmost  to  enter- 
tain the  driver,  making  heavy  drafts  upon  his  wit, 
humor,  and  knowledge  to  accomplish  his  object,  not 
omitting  to  preach  to  him  upon  "  righteousness, 
temperance,  and  a  judgment  to  come." 

At  the  end  of  the  route  the  driver  acknowledged 
that  he  never  rode  more  comfortably  than  he  did  on 
that  day,  but  naively  suggested  that,  after  all,  it 
"  might  be  the  laughter  instead  of  temperance." 
(The  doctor  kept  him  laughing  a  good  part  of  the 
way.)  "At  any  rate,  he  was  sure  that  there  was 
no  danger  of  freezing  with  such  a  passenger  on  the 
box,  rum  or  no  rum." 

In  185 1  Dr.  Jewett  was  employed  in  Maine  for  a 
season,  to  begin  his  labors  "  on  the  Kennebec,  ending 
them  with  Calais,  on  the  eastern  border  of  the  state." 
The  Maine  Law  was  in  complete  operation  at  the 
time  in  a  large  portion  of  the  state,  and  this  cham- 
pion of  prohibition  was  expected  to  aid  essentially 
in  its  execution. 

On  his  way.  Dr.  Jewett  spent  a  few  days  with  his 
old  friend,  Hon.  Neal  Dow,  author  of  the  Maine 
Law,   then  mayor  of  Portland.      On  the  morning 


INDEPENDENT  LABOR.  229 

after  he  reached  that  city,  Mr.  Bow  took  him  to  the 
basement  of  the  City  Hall,  where  a  large  quantity 
of  liquors  that  had  been  seized  under  the  law  were 
stored. 

The  spectacle  pleased  the  doctor  beyond  meas- 
ure. He  had  worked  and  waited  long  and  pa- 
tiently for  just  such  a  result,  and  he  was  so  full  that 
he  could  almost  say  with  Simeon  of  old,  "Lord,  now 
lette.st  thou  thy  servant  depart  in  peace."  But  the 
Lord  would  not  do  that,  as  he  had  other  and  great 
work  for  him  to  do  in  his  vineyard.  The  doctor 
returned  to  the  residence  of  Mr.  Dow,  and  relieved 
his  overflowing  heart  by  writing  the  following  arti- 
cle, that  was  published  subsequently  in  a  Portland 
paper,  and  was  copied  into  many  journals  through- 
out the  country  : 

"A   VISIT   TO   THE   SPIRITS   IN   PRISON. 

"  While  walking  down  the  streets  of  Portland,  this 
morning,  in  company  with  the  very  efficient  mayor  of 
that  beautiful  city,  I  was  invited  to  step  with  him  across 
the  street  and  take  a  look  at  the  imprisoned  '  spirits  * 
shut  up  in  durance  vile  beneath  the  City  Hall.  I  accepted 
the  invitation,  and  in  a  moment  found  myself  in  a  large 
basement  room,  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  the  imprisoned 
fiends,  which,  under  the  recently  enacted  and  most  riglit- 
eous  law  of  the  state,  had  been  arrested  in  their  march 
from  the  mouth  of  the  still  to  the  mouths  of  the  wretched 
men  who  had  become  already  so  far  demonized  as  to 
desire  the  further  acquaintance  and  companionship  of 
those  liquid  devils.  Three  or  four  extensive  seizures  of 
the  spirits  had  been  made,  and  here  they  were  all  gathered 


230  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

together  in  one  group  ;  and  a  sorry-looking  group  it  was. 
Their  sad  plight,  piled  on  each  other's  backs  around  the 
apartment,  recalled  the  language  of  Hamlet  to  the  skull 
of  poor  Yorick : 

'  Where  be  your  gibes  now  ?  your 
Gambols  ?  your  songs  ?  your  flashes  of  merriment 
That  were  wont  to  set  the  table  in  a  roar  ?  .  .  . 
.  .  .  Quite  chapfallen/ 

"  1  looked  upon  the  strong  oak  casks,  some  of  them  iron- 
bound,  and  thought  how  fortunate  it  was  that  the  hands 
of  government  had  arrested  them  before  their  fiery  and 
demonizing  contents  had  got  spilled  into  the  sto.machs  of 
some  of  its  poor  deluded  subjects.  Long  and  ardently  I 
had  desired  to  see  the  government,  in  true  paternal  regard 
for  its  suffering  poor,  and  for  the  thousands  who  are  being 
hurried  by  the  liquor  traffic  to  ruin,  exert  its  power 
promptly  and  effectually  to  stay  the  work  of  death.  And 
here,  at  length,  I  am  permitted  to  see  the  master-spirit  of 
mischief,  the  giant  curse  of  the  civilized  world,  chained. 
A  feeling  of  exultation  was  kindled  within  me,  which  I 
have  no  words  adequately  to  express.  Aha  !  thought  I, 
you  who,  with  your  kindred  spirits,  have  sent  thousands 
to  the  watch-house,  to  the  jail,  and  to  the  prison  ;  who 
have  bolted  the  doors  upon  thousands  of  my  brethren,  and 
shut  them  out  from  the  society  of  their  families  and  the 
world,  have  gotten  into  limbo  yourself!  The  angel  of 
justice  has  at  length  come  down,  '  with  a  great  chain  in 
his  hand,'  and  bound  you.  Here  you  await  your  trial, 
and,  if  condemned,  as  you  probably  will  be,  you  shall  be 
led  forth  to  execution,  amid  the  rejoicing  of  an  injured 
people,  and  your  blood  shall  flow,  not  as  ye  hoped,  down 
the  parched  throats  of  men,  but  down  the  gutters,  and 
through  the  city  sewers.      Well,  you  are  in  a  good  wa}'. 


INDEPENDENT  LABOR.  231 

Mother  earth  and  the  waters  of  the  bay  can  swallow  you 
and  not  reel,  and  that  Is  more  than  men  could  do. 

"  How  long  have  you  trampled  on  laws  human  and  di- 
vine, taken  your  own  wild,  wicked  way,  and  gloried  in 
your  might !  Ye  laughed  at  '  restriction  '  and  '  regula- 
tion ; '  but  stronger  words  have  been  whispered  in  your 
ears  by  the  legislature  of  Maine  — '  suppression,'  *  annihi- 
lation ;  '  and  lo,  ye  pause  here  to  consider  the  import  of 
the  new  vocabulary.  Well,  ye  will  learn  it,  no  doubt,  for 
ye  are  apt  scholars.  But  how  will  your  friends  and  ad- 
herents, not  onl}'  In  the  city,  but  among  the  hills,  regard 
your  capture  and  detention?  They  have  hitherto  gloried 
hi  your  strength,  and  have  asked  exultlngly,  '  Who  is  like 
unto  the  beast?  Who  is  able  to  make  war  against  him?  ' 
Maine  hath  answered  in  stern  and  decided  tone,  and  — 
ye  are  here !  '  The  merchants  of  those  things,  which 
were  made  rich  by  thee,  shall  stand  afar  off,  for  the  fear 
of  thy  torment,  weeping  and  wailing,  and  crying,  Alas ! 
.  .  .  for  in  one  hour  so  great  riches  have  come  to 
naught.' 

"  What  varied  forms  have  ye  taken,  as  I  see  ye  here  in 
your  prison  ;  and  how  varied  your  destination  !  Here  ye 
swell  out  in  great  bulk,  like  a  corpulent,  turtle-fed  alder 
man,  and  there  ye  shrink  almost  to  the  dimensions  of 
a  water-bucket.  Let  me  look  at  your  names,  and  learn 
whither  ye  were  bound.  '  American  Gin,  Parsonsfield.' 
And  what  business  had  you  at  Parsonsficld?  Did  the 
parson  invite  you  to  visit  his  field?  Nay,  verily  !  He 
would  sooner  have  sent  you  to  the  Potter's  Field.  But  to 
Parsonsfield  you  were  going;  and  for  what?  Ah,  I  re- 
member 1  There  is  a  poor  widow  in  that  neighborhood, 
whose  husband  ye  slew,  and  whose  oldest  son  ye  have 
poisoned  until  the  poor  lad  totters  as  he  walks.  His 
brain  is  on  fire.     He  talks  incoherendy,  and  strange  fan- 


232  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT. 

cies  possess  him.  Sometimes  he  curses  the  mother  who 
bore  him  ;  and  those  hands  which,  when  a  child,  she 
pressed  in  hers  while  she  prayed,  have  been  lifted  in  vio- 
lence against  her.  She  is  almost  distracted  with  her  trou- 
bles, and  knoweth  not  whither  to  turn  for  relief.  Despair 
has  sometimes  almost  taken  possession  of  her  soul.  She 
hateth  thee,  and  lifteth  her  eyes,  swollen  with  weeping, 
and  her  feeble  hands,  to  heaven  against  thee.  And  thou 
wouldst  afflict  her  still  more  !  Heartless,  obdurate  devil ! 
Yes,  you  were  journeying  to  Parsonsfield  for  that  purpose  ; 
but  the  angel  of  justice  met  thee,  and  —  thou  art  here. 
How  will  that  widow  rejoice  and  sing  when  she  shall  hear 
the  glad  tidings  of  thy  fall ! 

"But  let  me  look  at  thy  brother  fiend,  '  N.  E.  Rum, 
W.  A.,  Bethel.'  And  what  was  thy  errand  to  Bethel? 
Jacob  went  up  to  Bethel,  and  built  there  an  altar,  because 
there  the  Lord  met  him  in  the  time  of  his  troubles.  And 
you  too  have  built  an  altar  at  Bethel,  whereon  thou  dost 
sacrifice  to  strange  gods.  But  goats  and  bullocks  will  not 
serve  thee  for  sacrifices.  The  blood  of  our  sons,  '  the  ex- 
pectancy and  rose  of  the  fair  state,'  is  smoking  upon  thine 
altar  at  Bethel.  But  thou  art  not  there.  Iron  bands  con- 
fine, and  bolts  and  bars  detain  thee.  Thine  altar  at  Bethel 
will  grow  cold,  and  the  sweet  waters  of  the  rejoicing 
heavens  shall  wash  away  its  stains.  '  Old  Madeira,  lo 
gallons,  Wm.  Baker,  Brunswick.'  And  you,  old  gentle- 
man, were  bound  to  Brunswick,  There  is  a  college  at 
Brunswick ;  and  did  ye  covet  an  education  ?  '  No,  ye 
were  going  to  teach,  and  not  to  be  tauglit.'  So  I  supposed. 
A  professor  of  infernal  mathematics  and  languages,  en 
route  for  Brunswick,  to  teach  the  young  men  big  oaths, 
subtraction  from  the  pocket,  multiplication  of  miseries, 
and  reduction  descending;  ay,  and  to  add  thereto  impor- 
tant instruction  in  your  rule  of  three  direct,  to  the  poor- 


INDEPENDENT  LABOR. 


233 


house,  the  prison,  and  the  drunkard's  grave.  Verily  a 
rule  of  three.^  and  as  direct  as  one  could  desire.  And 
*  you  give  instructions  in  navigation.'  Ay,  I  have  seen 
your  pupils  making  trial  of  their  skill :  and  it  was  indeed 
an  interesting  exhibition  ! 

"  But  let  us  make  the  acquaintance  of  your  next  neigh- 
bor, Mr.  St.  Cioix.  And  you,  sir,  were  bound  to  Free- 
port^  but  —  did  not  get  there.  It  was  not  a  ''port  of 
entry*  for  you,  it  seems,  with  all  its  freedom.  And  what 
do  you  propose  to  do  now?  'Wait  here  the  arrival  of 
your  friends  from  Boston.'  Very  well ;  we  pledge  you  the 
word  of  the  mayor  and  city  marshal,  that  your  friends 
shall  visit  you  here  immediately  on  their  arrival.  Fare- 
well to  your  devilship  ;  keep  cool,  and  learn  'the  uses  of 
affliction.' " 

At  Hallowell,  there  had  been  little  or  no  effort  to 
execute  the  law ;  but  Dr.  Jewett's  labors  there  in- 
augurated an  efficient  movement.  One  Gilman,  a 
prominent  rumseller,  defied  the  city  government, 
and  it  was  proposed  to  make  him  an  example. 

"  He  is  a  man  of  violent  temper,"  said  one,  "  and 
has  sworn  that  he  will  hew  down  with  an  axe  the 
first  man  who  enters  his  store  to  execute  the  law." 

"And  he  would  just  as  lief  do  it  as  not,"  added 
another;  "he  is  perfectly  reckless." 

"I  beg  to  differ  from  you,"  said  Dr.  Jewett ;  "  he 
will  not  strike  a  blow,  if  sober,  when  the  officers  of 
the  law,  with  proper  assistance,  visit  him.  I  gladly 
offer  my  services  to  the  officer." 

Officer  and  aids  were  soon  in  Oilman's  store,  who 
paced  about  like  an  enraged  tiger  in  his  cage.  The 
news  of  a  raid  on  Oilman's  shop  spread  like  wild- 


234  ^^^^   ^^'  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

fire,  and  soon  a  hundred  guzzlers  or  more  assem- 
bled in  front  of  the  building,  and  backed  up  a  wagon, 
filled  with  loafers,  against  the  door,  to  prevent  the 
exit  of  the  whiskey-seizers. 

Fourteen  barrels  of  intoxicating  liquor  were  found 
in  the  store,  and  the  conundrum  was  how  to  remove 
them  with  that  crowd  of  opposers  in  the  way.  ' 

"What  business  have  you  in  my  store?"  shouted 
Oilman  in  a  very  threatening  way  to  Dr.  Jewett. 

"  I  am  here  at  the  request  of  the  ofiicer,"  replied 
Dr.  Jewett. 

"  You  are,  ha  !  " 

"Yes,  sir." 

**  Well,  get  out  of  this  store  —  quick  !  or  you  will 
find  yourself  in  trouble." 

"I  shall  not  leave  until  ordered  by  the  officer," 
replied  Dr.  Jewett,  who  was  now  enjoymg  an  oppor- 
tunity to  confiscate  liquors  that  he  had  coveted  for 
years. 

Gilman  stepped  back  and  seized  an  axe,  with 
which  he  rushed  forward,  exclaiming,  "  Do  you  say 
that  you  will  not  leave  my  store?  " 

"  Yes ;  I  will  not  leave  your  store  until  ordered  by 
the  officer,"  answered  the  doctor,  coolly  and  de- 
fiantly. 

The  rumseller  cowed  and  dropped  the  axe. 

*'  Ofiicer,"  said  Dr.  Jewett,  "  when  you  say  the 
word,  these  barrels  will  be  taken  away,  in  spite  of 
cart  and  loafers  at  the  door." 

The  officer  stepped  to  the  door  and  said,  "  Gentle^ 
men,  I  request  you  to  clear  that  passage.     I  have  a 


INDEPENDENT  LABOR. 


235 


legal  warrant  to  execute,  and  you  may  be  sure  that 
I  shall  execute  it." 

Several  voices  defiantly  responded  by  sending  him 
to  a  very  hot  place. 

Turning  to  his  men,  the  officer  said,  "  Forward 
with  the  liquors." 

The  doctor  and  Allen  seized  a  barrel,  and  away 
it  went. 

"  Again  I  command  you  to  clear  the  doorway '  " 
exclaimed  the  officer.  Again  the  profane  crowd 
sent  him  to  —  a  place  prepared  for  themselves. 

"  Put  the  barrels  into  the  street !  "  shouted  the 
officer. 

Allen  and  the  doctor  sent  a  barrel  into  the  cart 
among  the  loafers,  when  the  imperilled  legs  scat- 
tered, and  the  way  was  clear.  Oilman  saw  that  his 
boastful  customers  failed  him,  and  he  sat  down  in 
the  rear  of  the  cart,  thrusting  his  feet  into  the  door- 
way. The  next  barrel  was  rolled  directly  upon  his 
legs,  holding  him  fast.  The  doctor  sprang  over  the 
barrel,  and  seizing  it  by  one  end,  lifted  it  from  the 
sufferer's  legs  (which  the  doctor  called  "  novel 
skids  ") ,  greatly  to  his  relief.  There  was  no  more 
resistance.  The  crowd  scattered,  the  horse  and  cart 
were  removed,  and  wagons  in  waiting  received  the 
liquors  that  were  conveyed  to  the  city  hall  in  a  sort 
of  triumphal  march.  For  the  news  of  a  seizure  at 
Oilman's  had  spread,  and  temperance  men  and 
women  flocked  into  the  streets,  men  cheering  on  the 
officers,    and    women    waving    handkerchiefs   from 


236  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

doors  and  windows,   glad  to  witness  the  reign  of 
justice. 

"That  is  practical,"  said  the  doctor  when  the 
affair  terminated ;  "  the  -prohibitory  law  works  like 
a  charm  J'^ 

The  doctor  was  not  there  when  the  liquor  was 
spilled  ;  but  John  Hawkins,  the  renowned  reformer, 
was ;  and  when  the  first  barrel  was  emptied,  he 
turned  it  up  on  end,  mounted  it,  and  made  a  speech 
to  the  crowd.  Afterwards  the  doctor  met  Hawkins 
in  Boston,  who  said,  rehearsing  the  incident,  "  It 
was  one  of  the  happiest  hours  of  my  life." 

Three  days  after  this  seizure  officer  Smith  seized 
a  whole  cargo  of  rum  from  Boston.  Dr.  Jewett  was 
assisting  in  its  removal  from  the  vessel,  when  there 
was  a  call  for  compromise. 

"No  compromise,"  said  the  officer;  "the  whole 
cargo  goes  into  the  Kennebec  unless  the  ship  returns 
with  it  at  once  to  Boston." 

The  vessel  returned  to  Boston  with  its  load  of 
rum. 

On  the  Fourth  of  July  of  that  year  Dr.  Jewett  de- 
livered the  oration  in  Portland,  by  invitation  of  the 
city  government,  — one  of  his  noblest  efforts. 

He  completed  his  campaign  in  Maine  to  the  entire 
satisfaction  of  good  people,  and  the  discomfiture  of 
the  opposite  class.  The  following  letter  from  the 
Honorable  Neal  Dow  contains  all  that  it  is  neces- 
sary to  add  respecting  his  work  in  Maine : 

"  My  Dear  Mr.  Thayer  :  Our  dear  and  honored 
friend,  Dr.  Jewett,  did  very  much  in  the  early  days  of  the 


INDEPENDENT  LABOR.  237 

Maine  Law  to  form  and  strengthen  the  pubHc  opinion  of 
the  state  in  favor  of  the  pohcy  of  prohibition  to  the  liquor 
traffic,  by  which  alone  it  could  be  rendered  permanent  as 
the  fixed  and  settled  policy  of  Maine. 

"  I  remember  very  well  the  eager  interest  which  he  took 
in  all  our  work  in  this  state  in  preparing  the  way  for  pro- 
hibition, and  the  delight  with  which  he  hailed  its  advent. 
Immediately  after  the  enactment  of  the  Maine  Law,  he 
came  to  the  state  and  labored  earnestly  and  effectively  in 
all  our  large  towns,  and  in  many  of  our  smaller  ones,  and 
in  our  rural  districts,  in  demonstrating  to  the  people  the 
rightfulness,  the  expediency,  and  the  wisdom  of  the  move- 
ment to  protect  them  and  their  children  from  the  infinite 
mischief  and  misery  of  the  liquor  traffic.  We  never  had 
among  us  any  one  more  acceptable  to  our  people  as  a 
teacher  in  this  department  of  Christian  and  philanthropic 
labor. 

"It  was  his  fortune  to  help,  in  a  most  important  man- 
ner, in  the  execution  of  the  law  in  its  earliest  days.  He 
was  in  an  eastern  town,  holding  a  series  of  meetings,  when 
it  was  determined  to  suppress  the  liquor  shops  with  a  strong 
hand.  Among  the  rumsellers  there  was  a  Pat  Meagher, 
whose  liquors  were  to  be  seized.  When  the  constable 
went  to  his  shop,  Pat  was  standing  in  the  doorway  with 
an  axe,  swearing  that  he  would  kill  any  one  who  should 
attempt  to  enter,  and  he  kept  the  constable  and  his  posse 
at  bay.  Dr.  Jewett  heard  of  what  was  going  on,  and 
went  to  the  shop,  asking  the  constable  to  call  on  him  for 
assistance,  which  he  did.  The  doctor  then  quietly  stepped 
up  to  Pat,  put  him  gently  aside,  and  walked  into  the 
shop,  followed  by  the  constable  and  some  others,  and  the 
liquors  were  put  into  a  cart  and  taken  away.  After  that 
the  law  was  steadily  and  vigorously  enforced  in  that  town 
and  neiofhborhood. 


238  LIFE    OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

*'  I  never  knew  a  more  devoted  and  unselfish  man.  Ilis 
whole  heart  was  in  his  work  for  the  love  of  God  and  of  his 
fellow-men.  His  purpose  was  ever  to  teach  the  people, 
not  to  amuse  them.  His  lectures  were  full  of  instruction, 
even  to  those  who  supposed  themselves  best  acquainted 
with  the  temperance  cause  in  all  its  phases.  Though  pos- 
sessing the  histrionic  power  in  a  high  degree,  he  never 
employed  it  on  the  platform  :  to  amuse  the  people  was 
never  his  object,  but  always  to  appeal  to  their  understand- 
ing and  conscience.  He  was  always  in  good  spirits;  never 
discouraged  or  depressed  by  disappointments  and  misfor- 
tunes and  afflictions,  of  which  he  had  his  full  share.  No 
man  realized  more  truly  than  he  that  earthly  interests  and 
affairs  are  of  small  moment  when  compared  with  those 
which  relate  to  the  eternal  world  ;  and  so  he  lived  mainly 
for  these,  which  he  made  the  great  purpose  of  life.  He 
was  always  warmly  welcomed  to  the  houses  of  his  innu 
merable  friends  all  over  the  country.  He  brought  sun- 
shine and  gladness  with  him  whenever  he  came.  He  was 
an  admirable  conversationalist,  and  enlivened  every  circle 
in  which  he  was.  His  talk  was  always  full  of  wit  and 
wisdom,  enlivening  and  instructing  all  with  whom  he 
came  in  contact. 

"  He  knew  the  world,  and  men,  and  books,  and  was 
never  at  a  loss  for  topics  of  conversation  ;  he  could  con- 
tribute his  share  to  the  gen6»"al  entertainment  and  instruc- 
tion, v/hatever  the  subject  of  conversation  might  be.  He 
made  the  temperance  cause  the  purpose  and  labor  of  his 
life,  and  was  as  wise  in  council  as  he  was  interesting  and 
instructive  upon  the  platform.  His  hope  was  to  be  able 
to  work  to  the  very  last,  not  to  be  placed  upon  the '  retired 
list,'  or  to  be  '  invalided,'  but  to  fall,  in  full  health  and 
strength,  upon  the  battle-field. 

"  A  few  years  ago  he  was  suddenly  taken  with  some  ill- 


INDEPENDENT  LABOR.  239 

ness,  and  he  wrote  me  that  his  working-days  were  over; 
that  in  future  he  would  be  compelled  to  be  a  mere  specta- 
tor of  the  battle,  unable  to  take  any  part  in  it ;  '  but  God 
knows  best,'  he  said,  "•  and  I  bow  cheerfully  and  lovingly 
to  his  holy  will/  But  he  rallied  from  this  illness,  recov- 
ered his  voice  and  strength,  and  was  able  to  go  on  to  the 
last,  thus  realizing  his  wish  in  that  pai'ticular. 

''  No  one  had  warmer,  truer  friends  than  he;  he  won 
them  fairly  by  his  unwavering  fidelity,  and  devotedness 
and  integrity  in  all  the  relations  of  life.  There  have  been 
few  men  to  whom  the  temperance  cause  has  been  and  is 
so  much  indebted  as  to  him,  and  all  its  friends  will  cher- 
ish his  memory  as  an  earnest,  devoted,  and  able  worker 
in  it.  I  am  truly  yours, 

"  Neal  Dow. 

*'  Portland,  Sept.  i,  1879." 

Dr.  Jewett  insisted  that  no  rule  for  moderate 
drinking  could  be  established,  since  a  quantity  that 
one  man  could  carry  might  intoxicate  another.  On 
going  to  a  thriving  manufacturing  town  in  Ohio,  at 
one  time,  he  found  a  telling  illustration  of  his  posi- 
tion. In  the  village  was  a  lawyer  of  considerable 
note,  by  the  name  of  Hubbard,  who  could  drink 
brandy  enough  to  fuddle  two  or  three  men,  without 
showing  it.  There  was  another  man  who  was  in  a 
drunken  state  most  of  the  time,  and  yet  he  did  not 
drink  half  so  much  liquor  as  the  lawyer  consumed. 
It  appears  that  the  lawyer  had  abused  his  intemper- 
ate neighbor,  once  when  the  latter  was  drunk,  and, 
in  consequence,  they  were  not  friendly  to  each 
other.  Both  were  present  at  the  doctor's  lecture. 
Fie  proceeded  to  expose  the  fallacy  of  all  pleas  in 


240  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

favor  of  moderate  drinking,  and  ridiculed  the  popu- 
lar notion  that,  "  if  a  man  can  drink  a  great  deal 
without  becoming  intoxicated,  it  is  because  his  head 
is  strong."  "  That  is  not  so,"  said  the  doctor.  "The 
head  has  nothing  to  do  with  it,  but  the  lungs  and 
the  man's  activity  will  account  for  his  capacity  in 
this  respect.  When  you  inhale  the  strong  odor  of 
liquor  from  a  man  who  has  been  drinking,  it  is 
because  his  eliminating  organs  are  at  work.  His 
lungs  are  throwing  off  its  vapor."  After  thoroughly 
and  eloquently  elaborating  his  subject,  the  doctor 
closed  by  making  a  strong  appeal  to  drinkers,  and 
particularly  to  excessive  drinkers  (if  there  were  any 
of  this  class  in  the  house),  to  sign  tlie  pledge.  No 
sooner  had  the  doctor  taken  his  seat  than  the  afore- 
said intemperate  man,  who  owed  the  lawyer  a 
grudge,  rose,  and  drawled  out,  "that  he  had  listened 
to  the  lecture  with  much  interest,  that  it  was  all 
true,  and  he  must  own  to  being  a  drunkard,  and 
perhaps  he  was  the  only  one  in  the  house ;  but,"  he 
added,  looking  around  the  hall,  "W^^r^  is  Squire 
Hubbard  1 " 

The  audience  burst  into  an  uproarious  laughter, 
and  it  was  several  minutes  before  the  doctor  could 
proceed. 

This  incident  furnished  them  with  a  good  illustra- 
tion of  his  theory,  and  the  doctor  used  to  say,  "  In 
every  sense  but  the  physical,  the  lawyer  was  the 
greater  drunkard  of  the  two,  but  his  great  lung- 
power  had  enabled  him  thus  far  to  preserve  a  re- 


INDEPENDENT  LABOR. 


241 


spectability  which  he  was  doing  his  utmost  to  under- 
mine." 

Dr.  Jewett's  health  was  precarious  at  this  time, 
and  he  was  obliged  to  lessen  temperance  work, 
and  seek  relief  in  physical  labor  on  his  farm.  The 
following  year  he  labored  in  Ohio,  and  an  effort 
"was  made  in  that  state,  in  1852,  to  introduce  a  clause 
into  the  constitution,  to  prevent  the  legislature  enact- 
ing a  liquor-license  law.  Three  months  before  the 
people  were  to  vote  upon  the  question,  the  friends 
of  temperance  entered  upon  a  vigorous  campaign. 
Dr.  Jewett  was  on  the  ground  eight  or  ten  weeks 
before  the  election,  by  invitation  of  Gen.  S.  F.  Gary, 
of  Cincinnati. 

The  liquor  advocates  had  imported  one  of  their 
able  debaters  from  New  York  city,  and  had  chal- 
lenged the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Temperance 
Society  to  a  discussion  of  the  question  before  the 
people.  The  challenge  was  accepted,  and  Dr.  Jew- 
ett booked  for  the  discussion,  before  he  v/as  con- 
sulted at  all  upon  the  subject.  He  accepted  tlie 
assignment,  however,  and  the  discussion  opened  at 
Columbus,  to  be  continued  at  Lancaster,  Circleville, 
and  Chillicothe,  on  four  immediately  successive 
days. 

At  the  former  place  a  platform  was  erected  in  the 
open  air;  and  when  Dr.  Jewett  rose  to  open  the 
debate,  and  looked  into  the  sea  of  upturned  faces, 
he  concluded  that  all  the  grogshops  of  the  city  had 
poured  out  their  "ragged  regiments,"  to  hear  their 
imported  advocate  defend  the  liquor  traffic.  Such  a 
16 


242 


LIFE  OF  CHARLES  7EWETT. 


bloated,  debased  crowd  he  had  never  addressed. 
They  listened  to  him,  however  with  respectful  at- 
tention to  the  end  of  his  discourse. 

We  shall  not  follow  the  debate,  except  to  note 
two  or  three  points  of  Dr.  Jewett's  replies.  His 
opponent  claimed,  that  since  all  the  lower  orders  of 
animals  choose  their  own  diet  and  drink  by  instinct, 
it  was  not  reasonable  to  suppose  that  man,  the  lord 
of  all  inferior  races,  was  less  capable  of  choosing 
his  than  the  cattle  or  reptile.     Dr.  Jewett  replied  : 

"In  the  tn'^atment  of  man,  God  has  certainly  made  him 
an  exception  to  the  rule  stated  ;  for  one  of  the  earliest,  if 
not  the  very  first  command  given  to  man  in  Eden,  was  a 
restriction  on  his  diet,  forbidding  him,  on  pain  of  death, 
to  eat  of  the  fruit  of  a  certain  tree  of  the  garden.  Under 
the  Mosaic  economy,  too,  very  precise  directions  were 
given  for  the  regulation  of  the  diet.  They  were  forbidden 
to  eat  the  flesh  of  certain  animals.  In  view  of  these  facts, 
what  becomes  of  the  gentleman's  assertion  that  the  right 
oiman^  as  well  as  of  all  other  animals,  to  choose  his  own 
diet,  was  so  sacred  that  the  Creator  had  never  interfered 
with  it?" 

His  opponent  claimed  that  the  state  of  Ohio  had 
no  right  to  prohibit  the  traffic ;  to  which  the  doctor 
replied  by  quoting  the  unanimous  decision  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States,  rendered  five 
years  previous,  sarcastically  adding  : 

"  Perhaps  the  aggregate  wisdom  of  our  Supreme  Court 
is  e^ual  to  that  of  the  gentleman  from  New  York.'* 

His  opponent  asserted  that  there  was  no  para^^lel 
in  the  history  of  legislation  to  that  provision  of  the 


INDEPENDENT  LABOR. 


243 


Maine  Law  that  protected  a  man's  liquor  in  his  own 
dwelling,  and  confiscated  it  \^hen  found  in  his  store 
as  merchandise.     Dr.  Jewett  answered  : 

"  The  laws  regulating  the  taking  of  fish  from  the  Con- 
necticut River  and  other  waters,  prohibit  fishing  on  certain 
days  of  the  week ;  and  violation  of  those  laws  subjects 
boats,  seines,  and  fishing-tackle  to  confiscation.  Cards, 
and  other  gaming  apparatus,  which  a  man  may  use  in  his 
own  dwelling,  are  confiscated  when  used  in  a  place  of 
public  resort.  The  counterfeiter  loses  all  his  implements, 
as  well  as  his  monc}',  when  the  detective  finds  him  out. 
And  so  of  a  hundred  other  things.  It  is  a  common  prin- 
ciple of  law  that  is  involved  in  the  confiscation  of  liquors." 

At  his  last  meeting  in  Cincinnati  he  arranged  to 
conduct  it  upon  the  principle  of  questions  and  an- 
svvcrs.  Lest  there  mic{htbe  backwardness  in  askin^j 
questions,  several  temperance  men  distributed  them- 
selves among  the  crowd  for  the  purpose  of  interro- 
gating the  speaker.  The  arrangement  was  carried 
out  to  the  letter.  For  nearly  an  hour  questions  and 
answers  followed  each  other  in  rapid  succession, 
and  much  information  was  imparted.  At  length  the 
great  distiller  of  the  city  interrupted  him  by  calling 
in  question  a  statement  made,  and  the  following  col- 
loquy followed,  greatly  interesting  and  amusing  the 
audience,  and  the  general  public  subsequently,  w^hen 
it  was  reported  by  the  press  : 

*'  Distiller.  You  stated  that  the  manufocture  and  sale 
)f  intoxicating  liquors  works  great  mischief  to  the  state 
•>{  Ohio,  w^hich  no  one  will  deny  ;  but  you  also  stated  that 


244  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

no  corresponding  advantages  result,  which  is  not  true,  for 
many  millions  of  gallons  of  whiskey  are  annually  exported 
from  the  state,  adding ^'rcaffy  to  its  wealth. 

"  Dr,  ycwett.  Sir,  you  are  mistaken.  Private  individ- 
uals may  add  to  their  wealth  by  the  liquor  business,  but 
the  state  does  not. 

*'  Dist.  That  is  quite  a  new  notion  in  political  economy, 
that  you  can  increase  the  wealth  of  the  individual  citizens 
of  a  state,  without  adding  to  the  wealth  of  the  state. 

"/>?'.  y.  New  as  it  may  be  to  you,  sir,  it  is  yet  true. 
When  Mr.  A.  picks  the  pocket  of  Mr.  B.  he  is  the  richer 
by  the  contents  of  the  pocket-book,  but  nothing  is  added 
thereby  to  the  wealth  of  the  state." 

Just  here  came  a  loud  shout  from  the  listening 
throng,  which  for  a  moment  somewhat  disconcerted 
the  distiller,  but  he  soon  rallied  and  proceeded  thus : 

"  Dist,  We  were  not  talking  of  theft  or  of  other  crimes, 
but  of  legitimate  and  honorable  business. 

"  Dr,  y.  Well,  sir,  by  the  business  of  manufacturing 
and  selling  intoxicating  liquors,  men  do  accumulate 
wealth,  and  therefore  pay  heavier  taxes  for  the  support 
of  the  state  government ;  but  meanwhile  thousands  are 
made  so  poor  by  that  same  traffic,  that  they  pay  little  or 
no  tax  at  all,  and  thus  the  state  is  a  loser  rather  than  a 
gainer  by  the  entire  liquor  business,  even  in  a  money  point 
of  view  —  not  to  speak  just  here  of  its  immense  loss  in 
the  health,  happiness,  and  morals  of  its  people. 

*'  But  I  wish  to  call  your  attention,  sir,  and  that  of  the 
crowd  around  us,  to  another  point,  which  perhaps  you 
have  not  considered.  Pork  is  one  of  the  great  staples  of 
Ohio,  and  the  state  exports  an  immense  amount  annually, 
five-sixths  of  which,  I  am  informed,  is  corn-fed,  produced 


INDEPENDENT  LABOR, 


24s 


by  the  farmers  of  the  state,  while  one-sixth  is  still-fed 
pork,  of  an  inferior  quality.  This  gets  so  mixed  with  the 
farmer's  pork,  while  passing  to  the  great  markets  of  the 
countr}',  that  it  cannot  be  distinguished  until  it  reaches  the 
consumer.  That  fact  being  well  known,  depreciates  the 
value  of  western  pork  in  the  aggregate,  often  three  or  four 
dollars  on  the  barrel  below  the  price  of  pork  produced 
and  packed  in  the  eastern  states.  Thus  the  farmers  of 
Ohio  are  losers  to  an  immense  amount,  that  the  distillers 
may  sell,  above  its  real  value^  their  miserable  still-fed 
pork.  That,  sir,  is  one  of  the  ways  in  which  Ohio  is  en- 
riched by  the  liquor  business." 

Here  came  another  shout  from  the  listening  throng, 
but  the  veteran  distiller  still  stood  his  ground,  and 
made  another  point  thus  : 

'-'•Disi,  That  is  but  one  half  the  truth  ;  the  other  half  is, 
that  the  smoked  meats  produced  by  the  distillers  bring  up 
the  price  of  the  entire  aggregate  exported,  as  they  are  a 
better  article,  and  are  preferred  in  the  markets. 

"  Dr.  y.    Why  are  they  preferred  ? 

"  Dlst,    It  is  no  use  denying  it,  the  fact  is  notorious. 

"  Dr,  y.  I  have  not  disputed  the  fact.  I  only  wish  to 
know  why  they  are  preferred,  that  is  all. 

"  Dist.  It  is  no  use  to  quibble  about  the  matter.  Meet 
the  fact,  and  dispose  of  it  if  you  can." 

He  seemed  to  suspect  that  the  doctor  might  make 
some  bad  use  of  any  explanation  he  might  make 
of  the  fact  stated,  and  sought  to  avoid  it,  but  the 
doctor  still  thrust  the  question  upon  him. 

"  Dr.  y.  Why  are  the  smoked  meats  of  the  still-fed 
swine  considered  more  valuable?" 


246  LIFE  OF   CHARLES  JEWETT. 

At  last  the  distiller  responded  : 

"  Dist.  Well,  sir,  if  you  must  know,  I  believe  it  is  be- 
cause the  meats  are  more  tender. 

"  Dr.  y.  Aye !  That  is  it !  Please  notice  that  fact, 
citizens  of  Ohio.  The  smoked  meats  of  the  distiller  are 
'  more  tender '  than  those  produced  by  the  farmers.  I  will 
now  explain  to  you  why  they  are  more  tender.  Causes 
which  lessen  the  vitality  of  an  animal  during  life,  hasten 
its  decomposition  after  death.  Some  diseases  of  a  low 
type  produce  such  changes  in  the  solid  structure  of  the 
human  body,  that  parts  here  and  there  lose  their  vitality, 
run  into  a  state  of  decomposition,  and  slough  off,  while 
the  patient  yet  lives.  Now,  slill-slops  form  an  imperfect 
diet  for  animals,  for  although  you  can,  by  their  use,  load 
an  animal  with  adipose  or  fat,  as  you  may  a  man  by  the 
use  of  whiskey,  yet  the  tissues  of  the  whole  body  have  but 
a  low  degree  of  vitality,  and  are  at  the  very  verge  of  de- 
composition before  the  butcher  ends  the  life  of  the  animal 
No  wonder  that  the  flesh  of  such  animals,  even  when  cured 
for  the  market,  is  tender.  Let  those  who  fancy  such  ten- 
derness enjoy  it.  For  one,  I  prefer  hams  from  the  corn- 
fed  pork,  though  the  fibres  be  a  little  less  tender." 

The  colloquy  was  here  interrupted  by  a  peal  of 
laughter  from  the  crowd,  and  our  friend  the  distiller 
lost  for  the  moment  his  good-nature,  and  declared, 
with  a  moderate  explosive,  the  doctor's  statement 
unfounded,  or  at  best  an  exaggeration. 

"  Dr,  y.  Hold  on,  sir.  You  declare  my  statement 
false.  Listen  a  moment  to  another,  and  deny  it  if  you 
dare  in  the  presence  of  this  crowd,  who  arc  doubtless 
acquainted  with  the  facts.  A  man  accustomed  to  that 
business    is    sent   daily    through     those   large    enclosures 


INDEPENDENT  LABOR, 


247 


where  swine  are  fed  in  connection  with  the  great  distil- 
leries around  this  city,  to  exannine  the  swine  in  every  pen, 
and  when  he  finds  one  with  a  scratch  or  wound  upon  him, 
as  often  happens,  he  is  at  once  withdrawn  from  the  pen 
and  sent  to  the  butcher ;  and  why?  Because,  sir,  it  is  well 
known  by  all  concerned,  that  wounds  on  still-fed  hogs  do 
not  heal." 

The  distiller  was  so  completely  vanquished  that 
he  withdrew  from  the  multitude,  amidst  laughter, 
shouts,  and  clapping  of  hands. 

When  Dr.  Jewett  completed  his  campaign  in  Ohio, 
his  health  was  quite  broken,  and  he  retired  to  his 
farm  in  Millbury,  seeking  rest  in  comparative  seclu- 
sion until  his  removal  to  the  West. 


248  L^FE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 


XII. 

WESTWARD. 

OVERWORK  was  telling  upon  the  doctor's 
health.  Lecturing  night  after  night,  with 
other  cares,  made  heavy  drafts  upon  his  nervous 
system.  But  more  than  all,  a  great  sorrow  over- 
whelmed him  and  the  family.  His  son  William,  a 
youth  of  seventeen  years,  a  bright,  talented,  Chris- 
tian boy,  was  suddenly  prostrated  by  disease.  He 
was  late  in  going  to  the  lyceum  lecture  one  evening, 
so  he  ran  the  whole  distance,  about  a  mile,  was 
thoroughly  heated,  and  wet  with  perspiration,  when 
he  sat  in  a  current  of  air,  taking  a  severe  cold,  the 
result  of  which  was  a  fever  that  proved  fatal.  In  a 
few  weeks  all  that  was  left  of  that  noble  lad  was  laid 
in  the  village  churchyard. 

Willie's  death  was  a  severe  blow  to  the  doctor 
and  to  the  whole  family.  Together  with  overwork 
of  the  brain,  his  crushing  sorrow  quite  disqualified 
him  for  further  labor  in  the  lecture-field  for  the  time. 
He  cast  about  for  relief.  Just  then  his  son  Charles 
returned  from  California,  where  he  had  been  three 
3^ears. 

Here  was  the  doctor  himself  unable  to  do  his  ac- 


WESTWARD. 


H9 


customed  work,  his  wife  an  invalid,  his  son  Charles, 
t\vent3'-four  years  of  age,  without  business,  and  an- 
other son,  Richard,  nineteen  years  old,  anxious  for 
some  useful  and  profitable  pursuit.  In  these  cir- 
cumstances, Dr.  Jewett  decided  to  go  West.  His 
plans  were  facilitated,  too,  by  the  fact  that  a  neigh- 
bor's son  stood  ready  to  purchase  his  small  farm. 
His  decision  was  soon  made.  He  was  a  man  of 
marked  decision  of  character,  and  always  did  what 
his  judgment  declared  was  for  the  best.  He  saw 
that  it  was  best  for  his  family  now  to  go  West;  and 
he  went. 

He  purchased  a  large  tract  of  land  in  Batavia, 
Illinois,  about  one  mile  from  the  centre  of  the  town, 
on  the  banks  of  Fox  River.  Thither  he  removed 
with  his  family  in  the  spring  of  1854. 

Batavia  was  one  of  the  older  towns  of  Illinois, 
settled  by  emigrants  from  New  York  and  Connec- 
ticut. The  Batavia  Institute  had  just  been  opened 
there,  and  the  doctor  was  invited  to  the  position  of 
lecturer  upon  physiology  and  agricultural  chemis- 
try. This  fact,  together  w^ith  literary  advantages 
for  his  children,  drew  him  to  that  particular  locality. 

In  disposing  of  his  farm  and  household  furniture, 
he  reserved  the  family  horse  and  pet  dog.  Such 
was  his  attachment  to  the  animal  creation,  that  he 
considered  these  quadrupeds  members  of  his  family 
in  such  a  sense  that  he  could  not  part  with  them.  On 
the  passage  they  were  intrusted  to  the  care  of 
Charles,  who  saw  them  deposited  safely  in  a  freignt- 
car,  where  he  fed  and  cared  for  them  on  the  route. 


250  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

The  horse  readily  acquiesced  in  the  change,  as  if 
he  understood  that  it  was  a  wise  move  for  the  family, 
to  whose  members  he  was  strongly  attached.  But 
the  dog  was  restive,  and  even  turbulent,  under  the 
arrangement.  He  had  never  caught  the  Western 
fever,  and  had  manifested  no  desire  to  emigrate, 
either  for  health  or  pleasure.  He  made  himself  as 
troublesome  as  possible  on  the  way,  and  before  he 
had  travelled  a  thousand  miles  his  reputation  of 
being  a  "  good  dog,"  with  Charles,  was  lost.  On 
arriving  at  Chicago  he  became  desperate,  and  car- 
ried the  matter  so  far  that  he  had  the  hydrophobia, 
when  a  bullet  terminated  his  life.  So  the  horse  and 
dog  parted  company,  the  latter  going  where  the 
hydrophobia  usually  sends  canines,  and  the  former 
continuing  the  journey  with  as  much  docility  and 
composure  as  if  no  affliction  had  been  experienced. 

Mrs.  Jewett  and  her  daughters  stayed  overnight 
with  friends  in  Chicago,  while  the  doctor  and  two 
isons  went  to  a  hotel.  The  cholera  was  raging 
alarmingly  in  the  city  at  the  time,  and  Dr.  Jewett 
and  Frank  were  attacked  with  it  on  that  night.  For 
a  few  hours  they  were  dangerously  sick,  but  finally 
obtained  relief.  One  of  the  sons  remembers  with 
what  coolness  his  father  lay  on  his  mattress  (the 
hotel  was  so  crowded  that  they  slept  on  mattresses 
laid  upon  the  floor),  and  poured  out  medicine  for 
himself  and  son.  He  had  taken  the  precaution  to 
provide  himself  with  remedies  for  the  cholera.  The 
proprietor  of  the  hotel  and  his  attaches  rendered  all 
the   assistance   possible,    but   the    doctor   depended 


WESTWARD.  2=^1 


mainly  upon  himself.  On  being  relieved,  he  lost 
no  time  in  taking  his  family  from  the  town. 

Not  much  of  interest  transpired  on  the  journey 
thereafter,  except  that  the  doctor,  who  was  never 
able  to  ride  far  without  making  the  acquaintance  of 
strangers  in  car  or  stage,  found  a  Canadian  (;mi- 
grant,  whom  he  hired,  and  took  along  with  all  his 
family,  consisting  of  himself,  wife,  and  three  chil- 
dren. As  the  doctor  had  six  children,  with  himself 
and  wife,  the  number  w^io  settled  on  his  farm  in 
Illinois  was  rather  imposing.  But  there  was  some- 
thing about  the  Canadian,  whose  name  was  Page, 
that  appealed  to  the  doctor's  humanity.  The  mere 
fact  that  he  would  need  extra  help  on  his  farm  would 
not  have  induced  him  to  engage  the  whole  house- 
hold. But  the  laborer's  son,  who  was  a  young  man 
grown,  was  intemperate  ;  and  this  fact  induced  him 
to  engage  the  crowd,  that,  if  possible,  he  might  save 
the  son.  The  doctor  was  always  ready  to  become 
"  all  things  to  all  men,  if  by  any  means  he  might 
save  some." 

He  caused  to  be  erected  on  his  farm  the  L  of  a 
house,  designing,  at  a  future  day,  to  erect  the  main 
building.  Then  he  built  an  addition  thereto  for  the 
Page  family ;  pretty  close  quarters,  of  course,  but 
well  enough  for  that  country.  The  doctor  proved 
himself  equal  to  an  experienced  carpenter  in  the 
erection  of  his  dwelling.  He  Vv^orked  early  and  lato 
with  the  men,  his  mechanical  skill  making  him 
second  to  none  in  efficiency  at  house-building.  It 
was  not  long  before  the  Massachusetts  temperance 


252  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEVVETT. 

advocate  was  transformed  into  a  Western  farmer  and 
professor  of  physiology  and  agricultural  chemistry. 
Nor  was  his  labor  in  the  latter  sphere  that  of  a 
novice. 

His  services  proved  to  be  of  the  greatest  value  to 
the  institution,  highly  appreciated  by  both  the  pupils 
and  board  of  managers.  Dr.  Jewett  was  always 
at  home  in  chemical  analysis  and  physiological 
investigation.  Agricultural  chemistry  drev/  his 
attention  in  early  manhood,  and  he  studied  into  the 
nature  of  soils,  and  their  adaptation  to  crops  of  dif- 
ferent kinds  as  well  as  to  fruits  and  trees.  His  love 
of  nature  and  interest  in  the  products  of  the  earth 
were  the  occasion  of  his  researches  in  agricultural 
chemistry. 

On  his  farm  the  doctor  was  not  less  successful. 
His  great  crop  was  corn.  Wheat  and  other  grains 
he  did  not  attempt  except  in  a  small  way.  But 
corn  yielded  its  golden  treasures  over  many  acres. 
Whether  "seven  ears  of  corn  came  up  upon  one 
stalk  rank  and  good,"  as  Pharaoh  dreamed,  we  do 
not  know ;  but  the  yield  satisfied  the  teetotal  farmer, 
so  that  it  must  have  been  considerable. 

We  ought  to  have  told  the  reader  before  how  the 
hired  man  Page  conducted  himself;  for  the  doctor 
engaged  him  without  a  line  of  testimonial  about  his 
character  or  efficiency.  Nor  did  he  want  any  letters 
of  recommendation.  Dr.  Jewett  was  Bo  sharp  a 
student  of  human  nature  that  in  less  time  than  one 
would  take  to  write  a  recommendation,  he  would 
learn  what   sort  of  a  man  the  stranger   was.     He 


WESTWARD. 


253 


knew  that  the  Canadian  was  an  honest  man,  — for 
he  looked  him  through  with  his  penetrating  eyes 
clear  to  the  recesses  of  his  heart,  —  and  he  proved  to 
be.  Faithful,  industrious,  and  efficient,  he  suited  his 
employer  well.  But  his  intemperate  son  was  the 
cause  of  much  trouble.  He  was  the  source  of  real 
sorrow  to  his  parents.  If  the  doctor  engaged  the 
family  with  the  benevolent  purpose  to  reform  the 
son,  he  was  beaten  for  once.  The  young  man  was 
rough,  rowdyish,  and  incorrigible.  He  would  have 
his  rum  at  times,  let  the  consequences  be  what  they 
might.  One  day  he  lay  in  a  drunken  sleep  on  the 
floor,  with  his  mouth  wide  open,  snoring  as  one 
who  was  born  to  make  a  noise,  when  a  litter  of  pigs 
came  into  the  door,  and  one  of  the  number,  more 
inquisitive  and  familiar  than  his  companions,  actu- 
ally thrust  his  nose  into  the  sleeper's  mouth.  The 
doctor  made  use  of  the  fact  thereafter  to  shame  the 
young  scapegrace,  by  telling  how  pigs  would  kiss 
him  when  he  was  drunk.  But  even  this  method  of 
reform  proved  unsuccessful. 

At  one  time  of  the  year  the  family  embraced  rev- 
eral  nationalities  among  its  members.  In  addition 
to  the  eight  original  live  Yankees,  there  was  the 
Canadian  on  the  farm,  also  an  Irishman,  a  French- 
man, and  a  Swede,  while  in  the  house  was  a  Nor- 
wegian servant-girl,  and,  weekly,  a  colored  washer- 
woman. Yet  everything  moved  on  smoothly  undei 
the  doctor's  judicious  administration.  Clearly  he 
was  at  peace  with  all  nations.     As  chairman  of  the 


254  ^^^^   ^^  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

**  Committee  on  Foreign  Relations,"  his  tact  and 
diplomacy  served  him  a  good  purpose. 

Early  in  the  autumn  an  incident  occurred,  illus- 
trating the  cool  and  ingenious  manner  of  the  doctof 
to  meet  an  emergency.  He  had  planted  an  ample 
patch  of  watermelons  on  a  piece  of  ground  near  the 
highway. 

"  Every  one  of  your  melons  will  be  stolen,"  said  a 
neighbor  to  him.  "I  don't  try  to  raise  any  now;  it 
is  no  use.  The  young  fellows  from  the  village  steal 
every  one  of  them." 

Another  neighbor  said,  "  Last  year  I  planted  a 
bed  of  melons  in  the  centre  of  my  cornfield,  where  I 
thought  nobody  could  find  them;  and  don't  you 
think  the  thieves  found  the  patch,  and  they  were  so 
mad  that  I  tried  to  conceal  it,  that  they  stole  the 
melons  before  they  ripened,  and  stuck  them  on  the 
posts  around  the  field, — splendid  great  melons, — 
and  pulled  up  all  the  vines.  You  can't  raise  a 
melon." 

The  doctor  listened  attentively,  and  simply  an- 
swered, with  that  sly,  curious  twinkle  at  the  corner 
of  his  eye  that  many  knew  so  well,  "Perhaps  so  • 
we'll  see." 

When  the  time  arrived  to  protect  the  melons,  the 
potatoes  around  the  patch,  together  with  weeds,  had 
grown  so  as  to  nearly  conceal  the  melon  vines.  The 
doctor  put  up  stakes  around  the  patch,  with  pulleys 
on  the  top  of  them,  through  which  he  ran  a  wire 
clear  around  the  patch,  and  thence  on  the  ground, 
hidden  by  the  grass,  to  the   corn-crib,  twenty  rods 


WESTWARD. 


255 


distant  or  more,  where  it  was  attached  to  a  bell.  In 
the  night  the  melon  thieves  would  rush  for  the 
patch,  hit  the  wire,  when  the  bell  in  the  corn-crib 
would  sound  the  alarm. 

The  doctor  had  planned  his  campaign  well,  and 
now  he  issued  his  orders.  "  Load  both  guns  with 
powder ;  you  two,  who  sleep  nearest  to  the  crib, 
have  one  ear  open  ;  when  the  bell  rings,  spring  out, 
•ire  the  guns,  and  after  the  rascals.*' 

There  were  five  or  six  men,  including  his  two 
sons  ;  and  all  were  anxious  for  the  sport.  It  was  a 
sort  of  mock  warfare,  in  which  enough  of  reality- 
was  mixed  to  make  the  affair  very  exciting.  It  was 
arranged,  how^ever,  who  should  be  on  picket  duty. 
The  doctor  was  fond  of  experiments,  and  this  one 
was  in  a  new  line  altogether.  It  would  test  his 
generalship.  If  the  truth  were  told  frankly,  it 
would  appear  that  the  doctor  himself  was  second  to 
no  one  on  the  farm  in  real  interest  in  the  fun. 

We  do  not  know  how  many  nights  the  parties 
watched;  not  many,  however.  At  eleven  or  twelve 
o'clock  one  night  the  bell  rang  out  the  alarm. 
"  Bang !  bang ! "  went  the  guns  in  an  incredibly 
short  time,  and  almost  instantly  the  doctor  appeared 
on  the  scene,  shouting  at  the  top  of  his  voice, 
"  Shoot  'em  !  "  The  thieves  took  to  their  heels  and 
dashed  through  the  cornfield,  where  they  could  be 
heard  running  for  some  minutes,  as  if  they  expected 
a  bullet  would  bring  that  marauding  expedition  to  a 
serious  close.     Did  not  the  warriors  laugh  when  the 


256  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

victory  was  won?  Did  not  the  general  in  command 
glory  in  the  exploit? 

The  melons  were  saved  —  and  such  a  crop  of 
them,  some  of  them  almost  as  large  as  a  man  could 
lift !  When  fully  ripe,  the  doctor  selected  two  of 
the  largest,  and  sent  one  to  each  of  the  neighbors 
hitherto  alluded  to,  with  his  sincere  compliments. 
It  was  a  capital  joke,  thoroughly  appreciated.  It 
was  settled,  in  Batavia,  that  Dr.  Charles  Jewett 
could  raise  watermelons,  and,  what  was  more  diffi- 
cult, he  could  keep  them,  too.  His  watermelon  war 
gave  him  great  notoriety. 

However,  he  was  sold  afterwards,  if  never  before. 
Two  young  men  called  at  his  house  one  day,  saying 
"  that  a  sick  woman  over  the  river. heard  that  he  had 
some  nice  watermelons,  and  she  would  relish  one 
if  the  doctor  would  be  so  kind  as  to  send  it."  Of 
course  he  responded.  Two  hours  afterwards,  the 
young  men  returned  to  say  ^'  that  the  melon  proved 
to  be  a  white-meated  one ;  and  the  sick  woman 
would  relish  a  red-meated  one  best."  So  the  doc- 
tor presented  them  with  another.  On  the  next  day 
he  learned  that  there  was  no  such  woman  in  the 
region,  and  that  the  two  young  men  and  their  com- 
panions had  a  treat  with  the  two  melons. 

Pigeons  and  quails  were  very  plenty  on  his  farm, 
and  the  doctor  devised  an  ingenious  method  of  cap- 
turing them  in  winter  for  food.  They  came  in 
flocks  to  the  corn-crib  when  the  ground  was  covered 
with  snow.  The  crib  was  set  up  three  or  four  feet 
from    the    ground,   the   space  underneath    enclosed 


WESTWARD. 


^57 


except  on  one  side.  The  doctor  boarded  up  that 
side,  leaving  space  for  a  door,  so  arranged  by  a  cord 
running  from  it  to  the  house  that  it  could  be  instantly 
closed  when  a  sufficient  number  had  entered  the  trap. 
Any  day  of  the  winter,  almost,  when  the  family  wanted 
game  for  a  meal,  this  device  proved  successful. 

From  the  first  Sabbath  that  the  Jewett  family  be- 
came residents  of  Illinois,  they  v/ere  regular  attend- 
ants at  the  Congregational  church,  and  were  con- 
nected with  the  Sabbath  school,  except  Mrs.  Jewett, 
whose  feeble  state  of  health  did  not  permit  her  to 
attend  the  latter  service.  Here,  as  elsewhere,  the 
doctor  identified  himself,  heart  and  soul,  with  the 
work  of  religion,  and  his  influence  was  highly  val- 
ued. He  was  an  ardent  admirer  of  the  young  pas- 
tor, Rev.  Wm.  E.  Merriman,  and  regretted  to  lose 
any  of  his  ministrations,  even  at  the  prayer-meeting. 
The  latter  place  found  him  an  earnest  and  active 
helper. 

The  family  had  been  residents  of  IlHnois  but  a  few 
months  before  the  members,  one  after  another,  were 
attacked  with  the  ague.  Every  one  but  the  doctor 
had  been  attacked  at  the  end  of  a  year.  Their  home 
was  in  a  malarial  district,  and  ague  was  the  inevi- 
table consequence.  At  one  time  all  of  them  w^ere 
suffering  from  its  effects  at  once,  except  that  the 
'*  shakes"  did  not  attack  all  on  the  same  day;  and 
Mrs.  Jewett's  ague  was  dnmd,  that  is,  witliout 
shakes.  Still  it  was  necessary  for  them  to  rise  early 
in  the  morning  and  hurry  through  the  work,  to  be 
ready  to  "  shake."  None  of  them  could  do  both  at 
17 


258  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT. 

the  same  time.  The  doctor  began  to  think  that  ague 
did  not  dare  to  attack  a  stalwart  farmer  Hke  himself, 
but  he  counted  without  his  host.  At  the  end  of  a 
year,  or  thereabouts,  sure  enough,  the  ague  had  him 
fast.  In  its  merciless  clutches,  the  doctor  shook  as 
violently  as  any  of  his  children.  The  first  hard, 
rousing  shaking  completely  disgusted  him ;  and  his 
interest  in  Illinois  farming  was  pretty  well  shaken 
out  of  him.  He  resolved  to  abdicate  and  remove  still 
further  west,  where  he  could  defy  ague  as  success- 
fully as  he  did  the  melon-thieves.  To  be  beaten  and 
cowed  on  his  own  premises  by  ague,  or  anything 
else,  was  a  new  experience  for  him. 

Add  to  this  affliction  the  fact  that  the  Institute  had 
not  flourished  as  its  ardent  patrons  expected,  and 
the  reasons  for  Dr.  Jewett's  removal  from  Illinois 
were  ample.  He  sold  his  place  at  once  without  any 
sacrifice,  resolved  to  keep  moving  westward  till  the 
ague  should  despair  of  ever  troubling  him.  Charles 
had  already  explored  Iowa  and  Minnesota,  falling 
in  love  v/ith  the  latter  territory,  where  he  had  pre- 
empted a  claim  two  miles  and  a  half  from  the  "  Fari- 
bault "'  Trading-Post,  at  the  junction  of  the  Canon 
and  Straight  rivers.  All  the  government  claims 
between  the  "  Post "  and  the  locality  Charles  selected 
had  been  taken  at  that  time,  although  few  of  them 
were  occupied.  Charles's  claim  was  on  a  fine  rolling 
prairie,  half-way  between  the  two  rivers,  without  a 
tree,  shrub,  or  stone.  The  chills  and  fever  were 
unknown  in  that  vicinity  ;  the  climate  was  healthy 
and  invigorating,  and  the  soil  deep  and  rich.     The 


WESTWARD. 


259 


town  consisted  of  the  "trading  post,"  which  was 
made  of  hewn  logs  very  neatly  joined  together,  a 
handsome  framed  house  beloncrin£j  to  the  son  of  the 
trader,  Mr.  Alexander  Faribault,  after  whom  the 
town  was  named,  and  six  log  and  slab  houses. 

So  soon  as  the  doctor  sold  his  farm  at  Batavia, 
he  prepared  to  remove  to  Minnesota.  The  plan  was 
to  leave  the  female  members  of  the  family  with  one 
son  in  Illinois  until  autumn,  when  a  dwelling  would 
be  erected  for  their  reception.  The  doctor  and  his 
other  sons  would  repair  at  once  to  the  new  home, 
preempt  claims  for  himself  and  Richard,  pitch  a 
tent  in  which  to  dwell  through  the  summer,  and 
plant  and  sow  for  their  first  crops.  Mr.  Page  de- 
clared that  he  would  go  with  the  doctor  if  it  was  "to 
the  jumping-ofF  place,"  and  that  where  he  chose  to 
abide,  he  and  his  would  abide.  So  Mr.  Page  and 
son  joined  the  emigrants.  The  boy  Frank  went  as 
errand-boy  for  the  tent  and  professional  dish-washer. 

A  wagon  drawn  by  a  yoke  of  oxen,  the  doctor's 
favorites,  was  loaded  with  tent,  tools,  cooking-uten- 
sils, provisions,  and  whatever  a  tent  life  of  five  or 
six  months  demanded ;  and  Mr.  Page  drove  it  to 
the  Mississippi  River,  whence  it  was  boated  to  Hast- 
ings, and  thence  driven  again  inland  forty-two  miles 
to  Faribault.  Dr.  Jewett's  ox-team  was  the  first  one 
to  go  up  Vv^hat  is  now  called  "Jewett  Valley,"  in 
honor  of  the  teetotal  pioneer. 

Going  up  the  Mississippi,  the  doctor  found  some 
old  friends  on  the  boat  from  Whitinsville,  Mass., 
bound  for  St.  Paul.     When  they  learned  that  Dr. 


26o  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT. 

Jewett  was  emigrating  to  Minnesota,  they  abandoned 
the  idea  of  going  to  St.  Paul,  and  decided  to  unite 
their  fortunes  with  the  doctor's.  '^  If  the  place  suits 
you,  and  you  think  it  is  a  good  location,  we  have 
such  confidence  in  your  judgment  as  to  believe  that 
it  w^ill  suit  us,"  they  said.  Subsequently  several 
families  followed  the  doctor  to  his  new  settlement, 
constituting  quite  a  colony  of  old  friends. 

It  was  a  season  when  there  was  a  rush  for  claims, 
so  that  lively  times  followed  their  arrival.  The 
doctor  preempted  claims  for  himself  and  Richard 
adjoining  that  of  Charles,  and  one  of  them  was  a 
"w^oodland  claim,"  that  all  might  be  supplied  with 
fuel.  Some  one,  according  to  the  custom,  had 
selected  a  claim  near  by,  and  put  up  a  stake  wdth 
his  name,  but  had  not  occupied  it.  The  law 
allowed  a  person  thirty  days  to  secure  a  claim 
after  driving  down  his  stakes.  At  the  expiration  of 
thirty  days,  if  he  had  failed  to  occupy  it,  his  right 
thereto  ceased.  Charles  had  watched  that  clain. 
for  Mr.  Page,  and  the  thirtieth  day  had  arrived  with- 
out the  appearance  of  the  would-be  proprietor.  At 
twelve  o'clock  midnight  of  that  day  the  man  s  right 
would  expire.  So  Mr.  Page  took  counsel  of  the 
doctor,  and  both  together  were  on  the  ground  at 
midnight  to  drive  down  their  stakes  ;  and  both  were 
at  the  land-office  at  Hastings  by  the  time  it  was 
open  to  the  public  in  the  morning.  The  claim  was 
secured  to  Mr.  Page ;  and  in  the  course  of  the  next 
day  another  claimant  put  in  *his  appearance,  to  learn 


IVESTWARD.  261 


that  promptness  is  indispensable  in  dealing  with  the 
government  of  the  United  States. 

With  planting,  sowing,  fencing,  and  preparations 
for  house-building,  the  doctor's  hands  were  full,  and 
a  jollier  man  than  he  was  in  this  novel  field  of  la- 
bor never  drove  a  stake  on  Minnesota  soil.  The 
timber  for  his  house  had  to  be  transported  from 
Minneapolis,  sixty  miles  distant,  over  a  road  that 
would  discourage  any  man  but  a  pioneer.  There 
was  not  time  to  fence  his  fields  wholly,  so  that  watch- 
ing night  and  day  through  the  summer,  to  keep  the 
cattle  out  of  the  corn,  was  necessary,  in  lieu  of  a 
fence.  The  doctor  had  watched  rumsellers  so  much 
in  New  England  that  it  was  an  easy  matter  for  him 
to  "  sleep  with  one  eye  open  "  to  keep  cattle  out  of 
the  corn.  Many  a  night  during  that  summer  his 
quick  ear  caught  the  sound  of  live-stock  in  the 
cornfield,  after  which  he  posted  without  stopping 
to  arrange  his  toilet.  A  letter  that  he  wrote  to  his 
Wife  that  summer  says  : 

"  Dear  Wife  :  Tough  as  an  Indian  and  about  as 
black,  dirty  and  ragged,  would  be  a  fair  description  of  your 
husband  at  present.  The  weather  to-day  is  very  hot,  and, 
following  as  it  does  an  abundant  fall  of  rain,  vegetation 
advances  with  great  rapidity.  Our  neighbors  who  were 
here  in  the  winter  or  early  spring  so  as  to  get  in  their 
crops  in  season,  are  now  luxuriating  on  as  fine  vegetables 
as  one  could  desire :  green  peas,  beets  three  and  four 
inches  through,  and  potatoes  of  good  size  for  any  season 
of  the  year.  We  are  going  to  send  up  the  valley  to- 
morrow for  a  supply  of  riew  potatoes.  The  potato  crop 
promises  to  be  abundant.     We  got  a  little  bit  of  a  wet- 


262  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

ting  last  night,  as  we  had  a  severe  thunder-storm  with  a 
high  wind,  which  made  our  canvas  roof  surge  to  and  fro 
smartly.  .  .  . 

"  Our  buckwheat  is  all  in,  and  all  but  one  acre  or  two 
is  up  finely,  and  looks  well.  We  have  eleven  acres  of 
that  crop  and  eight  of  corn,  potatoes,  beans,  squashes, 
turnips,  &c.  The  storm  threshed  down  our  potatoes,  corn, 
and  beets  badly;  but  as  the  plants  are  all  young,  few 
broke  off,  and  the  main  part  is  lifting  itself  up  under  the 
hot  sun  of  the  day ;  and  in  two  or  three  days,  if  we  have 
fine  weather,  no  vestige  of  the  storm  will  be  visible  on 
our  planted  fields.  We  have  not  one  fence  completed 
around  our  corn  and  potatoes,  and  have  to  watch  it  closely 
daytime  and  nights.  I  am  on  it  as  soon  as  there  is  light 
enough  to  see  cattle  across  it  in  the  morning;  and  this 
morning  it  was  so  dark  when  I  got  out  on  the  border  of 
the  field  that  I  could  not  see  across  it,  and  lay  down  ou 
some  fencing-poles  and  waited  for  daylight.  All  our 
folks  were  soundly  sleeping  in  the  tent.  No  material 
damage  has  been  done  our  crops  yet.  With  good  luck 
we  will  have  it  enclosed  in  two  days  more.  The  next 
job  is  to  fence  our  buckwheat  field.  We  are  congratu- 
lating ourselves  upon  the  prospect  of  having  a  good  sup- 
ply of  lime  for  building  purposes,  as  a  kiln  that  will  turn 
out  a  thousand  bushels  is  to  be  burned  this  week.  It  was 
all  ready  to  fire  last  Saturday.  We  have  found  a  splen- 
did bank  of  gravel  on  Charles's  claim,  for  making  con- 
crete ;  and,  as  the  chance  of  getting  lumber  in  time  and 
in  sufficient  quantity  looks  rather  dubious,  we  shall  try 
the  concrete.  We  shall  first  put  up  a  small  building, 
with  hen-house,  smoke  and  carriage  room,  and  see  how 
strong  the  mass  appears.  If  we  are  satisfied  with  it,  we 
shall  go  ahead  and  put  up  our  tenement  with  that  ma- 
terial.    We  shall  be  able  to  get  lumber  enough  for  door 


WESTWARD.  263 


and  v/indow  frames,  and  the  doors  and  sash  we  shall  buy 
and  bring  over  from  the  river.  Every  day  the  confidence 
of  our  whole  company  in  the  move  we  made  increases,  as 
does  our  confidence  in  the  excellence  of  the  soil  and  cli- 
mate. "Not  a  case  of  ague  has  been  heard  of  in  the  region 
since  we  have  been  here." 

The  letter  continues  at  some  length,  and  finally 
inquires  how^  Mrs.  Jewett  feels  about  undertaking 
such  pioneer  life.  The  doctor  was  prepared  to 
abandon  life  in  Minnesota  unless  "his  better  half " 
was  perfectly  satisfied  to  live  there.  The  reply  of 
Mrs.  Jewett  is  characteristic,  and  so  well  justifies 
Dr.  Jewett's  opinion  of  his  wife,  as  frequently  ex- 
pressed to  near  friends,  that  a  portion  of  it  at  least 
should  be  laid  before  the  reader.  A  woman  musr 
be  one  of  a  thousand  who  will  uncomplainingly  rear 
a  large  family  of  children,  and  "knock  about  from 
pillar  to  post "  as  suits  her  husband's  convenience  in 
the  work  of  reform.     She  says,  in  her  reply  : 

"  I  see  notices  of  your  lectures  in  several  papers,  say- 
ing that  you  are  the  '  same  old  sixpence'  as  when  you  left 
Massachusetts,  '  as  funny  as  ever,'  &c. ;  so  that  T  perceive, 
whatever  may  be  your  state  of  mind  out  of  the  desk,  in 

it  you  seem  the  same By  the  time  you  get  home 

everything  will  look  so  enchantingly  lovely  that  you  will 
be  desperately  in  love  with  all  your  possessions,  from  the 
fish  in  the  middle  of  Fox  River  to  the  bullfrog  piping 
his  bass  in  the  marsh  a  mile  in  the  rear ;  not  to  mention 
the  mistress  of  ceremonies  who  presides  over  your  affairs 
in  your  wearisome  absence.  Such  days  appear  to  stir  up 
the  spark  of  immortality  within,  reminding  us  of  that  new 
life  to  which  we  shall  come  forth  after  our  wintry  sleep  in 


264  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

the  tomb.  Could  we  be  other  than  ghid,  did  we  let  the 
teachings  of  nature,  aided  and  confirmed  as  they  are  by 
Revelation,  prompt  us  to  more  hopefulness?  At  times 
how  insignificant  seems  earthly  wealth  !  and  how  utterly 
unworthy  an  immortal  being  this  constant  struggling, 
striving,  toiling  even  unto  death  to  obtain  it !  ...  I  wrote 
you  a  long,  long  letter  a  few  days  since,  though  I  did  not 
by  any  means  exhaust  the  subject.  I  do  not  know — yes, 
I  do  know  —  that  I  need  not,  at  this  date  of  our  acquaint- 
ance, explain  my  sentiments  in  regard  to  any  plan  you 
may  think  for  the  best,  because  it  did  not  immediately 
concern  my  own  private  or  individual  ease  and  comfort. 
The  good  of  the  whole  is  my  good,  and  will  ever  be 
while  life  is  continued.  I  did  not  know  but  you  might 
infer  that  I  should  be  unwilling  again  to  change  our 
home  should  it  be  thought  best.  I  was  thinking  of  your- 
self. I  can  only  say  that  the  most  I  fear,  or  the  greatest 
trial  I  should  have,  would  be  the  hurry  and  perplexity 
necessarily  producing  in  weakened  frames  nervous  irrita- 
bility, that  is  harder  to  witness  and  endure  than  fatiguing 
labor  simply.  This  (Batavia)  is  a  most  delightful  spot  of 
earth,  but  I  can  leave  it ;  I  would  not  say  without  regret, 
for  I  am  not  insensible.  In  my  constitution,  locality  is 
strong  ;  so  is  affection  ;  I  am  strongly  attached  to  friends  ; 
and  there  is  07ie  friend  for  whom,  with  lengthening  years 
and  increasing  cares,  my  affection  has  proportionately 
increased.  His  home  is  mine,  though  it  may  be  in  the 
wilds  of  an  unsettled  territory  or  on  a  rock  in  mid-ocean. 
His  name  I  hope  will  be  on  the  marble  that  covers  my 
dust;  by  it  I  hope  to  be  called  forth  by  the  awakening 
trump  of  the  archangel,  and  by  it  known  until  I  receive 
(if  such  should  be  my  blessed  portion)  that '  white  stone 
with  a  new  name,'  '  to  him  that  overcometh.'  Let  that 
sentiment  be  my  epitaph." 


WESTWARD,  265 


The  same  letter  contained  the  following  original 
stanzas : 

"  I  go,  dear  husband,  gladly  go, 
Though  wild  the  region  be, 
Where'er  thy  wandering  footsteps  roam, 
Still  there  's  the  home  for  me. 

"  I  go  ;  my  purpose  still  to  cheer 
Thy  rugged  path  the  while  ; 
Our  aim  nor  wealth  nor  fame  shall  be, 
But  Heaven's  approving  smile. 

"  And  when  in  death  our  sleeping  dust 
0}ze  marble  covers  o'er ; 
United  in  that  '  Better  Land,' 
No  change  shall  part  us  more." 

On  the  fourth  of  July  of  that  season,  the  settlers, 
whose  number  was  rapidly  increasing,  conducted 
the  first  celebration  that  was  ever  observed  in  that 
part  of  the  territory.  Dr.  Jewett  delivered  the  ora- 
tion, which  was  received  by  his  pioneer  audience 
with  unalloyed  satisfaction.  Nobody  but  Dr.  Jewett 
could  have  delivered  such  an  address  in  a  wilder- 
ness, crammed  so  full  of  the  wittiest  wisdom  and  the 
wisest  wit.  The  settlers  will  never  forget  that  char- 
acteristic oration. 

In  August  of  that  season  Dr.  Jewett  was  applied 
to  for  two  weeks' labor  in  Minnesota,  in  behalf  of 
** freedom  and  temperance"  both.  He  was  offered 
fair  pay,  too,  for  his  service ;  and  seventy-five  dol- 
lars added  to  his  treasury  just  at  that  time,  v/ould 
be  a  substantial  help.  He  accepted,  and  wrote  to 
his  wife  from  St.  Anthony,  August  19,  1855  : 


ri(^e  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT. 

"  Dear  Wife  :  I  have  just  listened  to  a  discourse  on 
the  Tenth  Commandment;  and  how  it  rejoices  me  to 
know  that  while  it  forbids  the  desire  of  possessing  the 
wives  of  other  men,  it  does  not  forbid  a  desire,  however 
ardent,  for  the  companionship  of  one's  own  wife.  If  it 
did,  I  see  not  how  I  could  possibly  avoid  breaking  it 
hourly.  Oh,  how  I  long  to  see  your  face  once  more  and 
to  be  assured  by  your  own  sweet  voice  of  your  continued 
love  and  your  well-being.  Not  that  I  doubt  the  former  ; 
but  such  aflection  as  has  from  our  childhood,  or  from  our 
youth  at  least,  existed  between  us,  is  never  tired  of  assur- 
ances, but  like  the  miser  would  still  be  hoarding  up  its 
uncounted  treasures.  I  saw  men  to-day  walking  to  and 
from  the  house  of  God,  in  company  with  their  wives  and 
children,  and  I  felt  alone.  Well,  the  time  will  come 
again,  I  trust,  when  I  too  will  take  my  loved  ones  to  the 
house  of  worship.  I  have  for  three  evenings  addressed 
the  citizens  of  this  place  and  Minneapolis  (on  the  other 
side  of  the  river)  on  the  question  involved  in  the  coming 
election,  Anti-Nebraska  and  Temperance.  I  am  to  speak 
again  to-night,  and  to-morrow  night  at  Excelsior,  on  the 
edge  of  Lake  Minnetonka,  twenty  miles  distant.  My  ap- 
pointments extend  to  the  29th.  I  shall  allow  them  to 
give  out  no  more  at  present,  because  I  want  to  be  on  our 
claims  pushing  on  our  operations  there,  and  getting  our 
domicils  ready  for  you  and  yours." 

This  extract  introduces  the  reader  to  Dr.  Jewett's 
industry  in  Minnesota,  his  unfaltering  interest  in 
the  cause  of  liberty  and  temperance,  and  his  plans 
concerning  his  pioneer  life.  We  shall  omit  further 
details,  and  pass  directly  to  the  removal  of  his  family 
to  their  home  on  the  prairie. 


PIONEER  LIFE.  267 


XIII. 

PIONEER    LIFE. 

MRS.  JEWETT  was  obliged  to  pack  up  and 
move  to  Minnesota  without  her  husband.  His 
engagements  prevented  his  return ;  and  then  he 
knew  very  well  that  his  wife  was  equal  to  the  task. 
He  arranged,  however,  to  meet  her  and  their  two 
daughters  at  Hastings,  on  the  Mississippi.  Their 
route  was  to  Chicago,  thence  to  the  Mississippi, 
where  they  embarked  on  a  steamer  up  the  river  to 
Hastings.  The  distance  from  the  latter  place  to 
Faribault,  their  destination,  was  forty-two  miles,  and 
the  road  was  in  a  very  muddy  condition,  caused  by 
heavy  rains.  The  reader  may  judge  of  the  depth 
of  the  mud  from  the  fact  that  the  doctor  had  pro- 
cured a  wagon  with  springs,  to  convey  his  wife  and 
two  daughters  to  their  new  home ;  but  a  portion  of 
the  way  the  daughters  were  compelled  to  walk,  for 
fear  of  breaking  the  springs  to  the  vehicle,  so  se- 
verely racked  and  jolted  by  the  perilous  state  of  the 
road.  The  girls  actually  waded  through  mud  knee- 
deep. 

One  night  they  stopped  at  "  Sod  Tavern,"  a  pub- 
lic-house that  derived  its  name  from  the  material  of 
which  it  was  built.     Both  the  walls  and  roof  were 


268  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWET7\ 

made  of  sods.  In  the  night  there  was  a  tremen- 
dous thunder-shower,  such  as  the  inhabitants  were 
accustomed  to  in  that  part  of  the  country.  The 
doctor  and  his  wife  were  startled  by  the  rain  coming 
down  upon  them  through  the  sod  roof  in  a  stream. 
Before  they  could  escape  from  their  exposed  situ- 
ation, both  of  them  were  quite  wet  with  water  that 
had  percolated  the  sods  above,  and  consequently 
was  as  dirty  as  it  was  limpid.  The  landlord  directed 
Mrs.  Jewett  to  get  into  bed  with  his  two  "  little 
boys,"  who  were  sleeping  where  the  roof  did  not 
leak,  while  the  doctor  shirked  for  himself  in  an- 
other corner  of  the  soddy  establishment.  They  sur- 
vived this  unexpected  introduction  to  pioneer  life, 
however,  and  in  due  time  reached  their  destina- 
tion. 

The  doctor  was  building  a  house,  but  it  was  not 
completed,  so  that  there  was  no  shelter  for  his  fam- 
ily, except  the  tent,  on  his  claim.  There  was  a 
small  cabin  on  the  claim  of  Mr.  Nutting,  near 
by  ;  and  that  was  vacated  for  their  accommodation. 
Their  nights  were  spent  at  the  cabin ;  but  the  days 
at  the  tent,  in  cooking  for  the  men,  who  were  re- 
joiced to  have  genuine  cooks  who  understood  the 
business,  after  their  miserable  mock  cookery  for  six 
months. 

The  house  was  soon  completed  —  a  building  eigh- 
teen by  twenty  feet,  with  loft  and  cellar.  The  for- 
mer was  reached  by  a  ladder  in  one  corner  of  the 
room,  made  by  nailing  slats  upon  the  studs ;  the  lat- 
ter through  a  trap-door  cut  in  the  floor.    A  tra^-QQQX 


PIONEER  LIFE. 


269 


it  was  indeed  ;  for  notwithstanding  their  good  inten- 
tions to  guard  it  well  when  open,  Frank  went 
through  it  once  with  a  handful  of  wood  in  his  arms, 
and  Lucy,  with  a  butchor-knife  in  one  hand  and  a 
dish  in  the  other.  Both  of  them  found  that  such  a 
sudden  descent  into  the  cellar  was  more  perilous 
than  congenial.  But  their  bruises  healed  rapidly, 
and  thev  were  soon  as  cjood  as  new. 

The  lower  floor  was  one  large  room  at  first, —  par- 
lor, sitting-room,  and  kitchen  in  one, — the  loft  being 
devoted  to  lodgings,  where  the  whole  space  was 
divided  into  sleeping-apartments  by  means  of  cur- 
tains. The  space  was  so  full}'-  occupied  in  this  way, 
that  lodgers  were  obliged  to  stand  on  their  beds  to 
undress.  The  furniture  of  the  house  was  not  im- 
ported, —  the  doctor  was  a  stickler  for  home  manu- 
factures. Ever  since  he  made  that  bureau  for  his 
prospective  bride,  he  felt  competent  to  furnish  a 
house  on  a  Western  prairie  without  calling  to  his 
aid  skilled  European  or  American  labor.  He  con- 
structed several  three-legged  stools  that  were  really 
more  useful  than  chairs,  since  the  occupant  was 
obliged  to  exercise  skill  and  tact  to  maintain  an 
upright  position  upon  them.  There  was  not  a  stool 
for  each  member  of  the  household;  so  a  seat,  long 
enough  to  accommodate  five  or  six  persons,  was 
put  up  on  one  side  of  the  room,  hinged  to  the  ceil- 
ing, and  when  not  needed  it  was  let  down  out  of 
the  way.  This  always  served  for  a  seat  to  one  side 
of  the  long  dining-table,  which  the  doctor  made 
also.     Several  boxes,  in  which  bedding,  iron-ware, 


270  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

and  crockery  were  brought,  were  appropriately 
fitted  and  arranged  for  tables  and  sink.  Shelves 
v/ere  erected  on  one  side  for  tin-ware,  crockery,  &c. 
All  the  bedsteads  used  were  of  the  latest  Jewett 
pattern,  destitute  of  carving  to  be  sure,  but  capable 
of  furnishing  as  much  genuine  sleep  as  the  most 
approved  French  styles.  In  one  corner  of  the  room 
the  family  grist-mill  was  set  up ;  it  was  like  an 
old-fashioned  coffee-mill,  only  somewhat  larger. 
Through  this  hand-mill  all  the  corn  and  other  grains 
used  in  the  family  were  run.  It  was  a  slow  method 
to  prepare  meal  for  cooking,  but  "  many  hands  make 
light  work  ;  "  and  there  was  no  lack  of  meal.  A 
farmer  living  several  miles  distant  heard  that  Dr. 
Jewett  had  a  grist-mill,  and  away  he  went  one  day 
with  as  much  grain  as  he  could  carry  on  his  wagon, 
rejoicing  that  civilization  had  reached  Minnesota 
with  one  of  its  most  useful  inventions.  The  doctor 
thought  that  the  farmer's  countenance  would  fur- 
nish an  artist  with  a  good  subject,  when  he  was 
introduced  to  the  hand-mill  in  one  corner  of  the 
room.  To  the  doctor  it  was  one  of  the  best  jokes 
of  the  season,  though  he  really  sympathized  with 
the  disappointed  man  when  he  saw  him  starting 
homeward  with  his  load  of  unground  corn.  He  be- 
lieved, as  we  have  seen,  that  "  the  beginning  of  a 
good  cause  is  never  small."  We  suspect  that,  when 
he  looked  at  that  load  of  corn  and  then  at  his  mill, 
that  he  must  have  questioned  the  truth  of  the 
maxim. 

This  house  answered  for  the  first  winter  of  pio- 


PIONEER  LIFE.  271 


neer  life.  In  the  spring  following,  it  was  enlarged 
by  the  addition  of  an  L,  and  the  large  room  of  the 
main  house  was  divided  into  three,  a  sitting-room 
and  two  bedrooms.  While  the  L  was  building, 
Mrs.  Jewett  came  near  losing  her  life.  Boards  were 
placed  ever  the  timbers  that  the  family  might  have 
passage-way  into  the  wood-shed.  In  some  way  a 
board  was  slipped  from  its  position,  Vvhen,  stepping 
upon  it,  Mrs.  Jewett  fell  through  upon  the  ground 
beneath,  the  board  striking  her  a  fearful  blow  in  the 
face,  seriously  injuring  her  nose.  She  was  taken 
up  insensible,  and  for  some  time  serious  apprehen- 
sions as  to  the  result  greatly  troubled  the  family. 

The  house  w^as  plastered  after  the  family  occu- 
pied it ;  and  cold  w^eather  setting  in,  it  was  scarcely 
dried  through  the  winter.  Yet  no  member  of  the 
family  took  cold,  the  dry  atmosphere  out  of  doors 
furnishing  a  good  antidote.  All  enjoyed  uninter- 
rupted health,  except  some  annoyance  experienced 
from  the  lingering  effects  of  the  ague  ;  and  Mrs. 
Jewett's  dumb  ague  was  made  to  sfcak  by  the  cli- 
mate, so  that  she  shook  herself  as  effectually  as  any 
of  them  had  done.  But  a  few  months'  residence 
there  carried  off  the  remains  of  the  dreaded  disease. 

Having  made  his  house  comfortable  for  winter, 
and  put  two  stoves  into  the  large  room,  the  doctor 
turned  with  tender  heart  to  the  cattle.  It  was  not 
custom.ary  to  erect  barns  or  sheds  for  cattle  ^n  that 
country ;  but  his  heart  was  touched  by  the  sight 
of  his  poor  dumb  creatures  huddling  together  for 
warmth  in  the  face  of  wintry  blasts.     So  he  erected 


272  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

a  comfortable  shed  for  them,  with  straw-thatched 
roof. 

The  first  winter  was  spent  in  preparing  fencing 
for  the  spring.  It  was  necessary  to  go  three  miles 
for  the  material,  and  this  necessity  exposed  them  to 
the  blinding  snow-storms  of  that  region.  It  required 
great  courage  and  caution  to  find  the  way  home  in 
a  storm.  As  a  wise  precaution,  the  doctor  cut  poles, 
and,  after  tying  a  strip  of  black  cloth  upon  the  tops, 
set  them  up,  two  or  three  rods  apart,  along  the 
whole  w^ay  to  the  forest.  By  the  aid  of  these  they 
could  find  their  way  home  in  the  most  driving 
storm,  unless  darkness  overtook  them.  In  the  latter 
case,  the  family  set  a  light  in  the  window,  and 
waited  with  some  anxiety  for  their  coming.  The 
sleds  used  that  winter  were  made  by  the  doctor.  A 
cart  also,  used  in  the  summer  and  autumn,  was  his 
handiwork. 

The  winters  of  Minnesota  were  cold  indeed.  All 
that  winter  the  frost  did  not  melt  on  the  windows. 
When  a  light  was  put  in  the  window  on  a  stormy 
night,  to  guide  travellers  or  any  returning  member 
of  the  family,  one  of  the  children  would  sit  by  it, 
and,  with  a  cloth  dipped  in  hot  water,  remove  the 
frost  from  the  pane  that  the  light  might  shine 
through.  One  day  a  man,  going  with  them  to  Hast- 
ings, would  have  been  frozen  to  death  on  the  sled, 
had  not  the  doctor  resorted  to  a  resolute  remedy. 
The  man  protested  against  interrupting  his  sleep, 
and  begged  to  be  let  alone  Vv^hen  his  companions 
shook  him  up.     Finally,  they  rolled   him  from  the 


PIONEER    LIFE.  273 


sled,  and,  by  the  most  active  and  persistent  dealing, 
compelled  him  to  walk  and  live.  Nearly  every  one 
froze  an  ear,  nose,  finger,  or  hand.  The  doctor 
froze  his  nose  seriously,  and  for  three  months  it 
was  red  as  a  toper's;  and  more  than  one  pioneer 
told  him  that  his  nose  was  a  "  disgrace  to  a  temper- 
ance lecturer."  Richard  froze  one  of  his  ears,  and 
afterwards  the  same  ear  was  frozen  again,  one  cold 
night  when  he  was  in  bed  and  asleep.  When  out 
of  doors,  riding  or  w^alking,  in  the  coldest  w^eather, 
they  were  wont  to  watch  each  other,  so  as  to  give 
timely  warning  when  ears  or  faces  were  freezing. 

In  the  house,  two  stoves  were  kept  running  night 
and  day  in  the  one  large  room.  The  females 
wore  shawls  also,  all  the  time,  in  order  to  be  com- 
fortably warm.  At  night  they  put  on  hoods  when 
they  retired.  These  were  especially  necessary  in 
a  driving  snow-storm ;  for  the  fine,  dry  snow  blew 
in  at  every  crevice,  notwithstanding  the  house  was 
shingled.  Directly  over  the  beds  cotton  cloth  was 
tacked  to  the  roof,  between  the  rafters,  and  yet 
snow  w^ould  sometimes  beat  in  and  fall  upon  the 
beds.  In  some  parts  of  the  loft,  after  a  very  furi- 
ous storm,  there  would  be  several  bushels  of  snow 
to  remove. 

Soon  after  the  family  occupied  the  new  house, 
Mr.  Faribault,  by  the  advice  of  General  Shields, 
waited  upon  the  doctor  to  see  if  he  would  take  his 
two  sons,  eight  and  ten  years  of  age,  into  his  fam- 
ily, to  teach  them  the  English  language,  and  care 
for  them.  Mr.  Faribault  was  a  Frenchman,  and  his 
18 


274  ^^^^   ^^  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

w^fe  an  Indian  squaw;  he  was  a  man  of  considera- 
ble wealth,  and  would  pay  reasonabl}/  for  the  ser- 
vice. The  doctor's  house  was  not  constructed 
exactly  for  a  boarding-school,  but  then  he  could 
eisily  adapt  it  to  the  circumstances.  Somehow  he 
held  a  wonderful  faculty  to  make  a  little  room  answer 
for  a  good  many  people ;  and  they  appeared  to  get 
along  just  as  well  as  a  few  would.  Then  doubtless, 
as  the  doctor  had  welcomed  Irish,  French,  Swedes, 
«S:c.,  all  at  once  to  his  family,  he  had  an  irrepressi- 
ble desire  to  try  an  Indian.  So  the  boys  were 
received,  and  remained  there  a  year  or  more.  The 
doctor  won  their  affection  and  confidence,  and  so 
did  the  v/hole  family.  They  were  nervous,  fiery 
little  fellows,  proud  and  hauglity,  requiring  tact  and 
management  to  interest  and  control  them.  But  in 
the  doctor's  hand  an  Indian  was  just  as  plastic  as  an 
American,  and  the  young  savages  improved  from 
day  to  day,  and  finally  became  quite  Yankee-like. 
The  doctor  treated  them  as  he  would  other  boys, 
and  made  kites,  carts,  and  tops,  to  amuse  them. 
The  habit  of  his  early  life  served  him  a  good  turn  in 
the  "  conduct  of  Indian  affairs." 

Indians  were  at  first  a  source  of  anxiety  and  fear 
to  the  feminine  part  of  the  household  ;  but  the  doctor 
lost  no  sleep  on  account  of  their  presence.  At  first 
they  were  disposed  to  frighten  the  new-comers  if 
possible.  But  when  they  yelled  to  the  doctor,  he 
yelled  back  again  with  an  imitation  and  power  thai 
must  have  made  them  suspect  he  was  of  Indian  de- 
scent.    At  the  same  time  he  met  them  more  than 


PIONEER  LIFE.  275 

half-way  for  conciliation,  and  worked  himself  into 
their  good  graces  successfully.  Their  visits  were 
frequent  and  generally  friendly.  Their  chief  de- 
mand was  for  w^hiskey  ;  and  when  they  could  not  be 
made,  to  believe  that  the  doctor  had  nothinp-  to  do 
with  the  article,  they  were  somev/hat  demonstrative. 
One  Sunday  two  Indians  came  for  w^hiskey,  when 
the  doctor,  with  all  the  family  except  Mrs.  Jewett 
and  one  of  the  daughters,  had  gone  to  meeting. 
That  Mrs.  Jewett  was  frightened  we  need  scarcely 
say.  But  she  treated  them  to  food,  and  finally  suc- 
ceeded in  convincing  them  that  there  was  no  v/his- 
key  in  the  house.  At  another  time  an  Indian  called 
for  water.  The  youngest  daughter,  by  mistake, 
handed  a  pitcher  of  hot  water  to  him,  from  which 
he  took  a  swallow,  when  his  eyes  flashed  vengeance 
for  a  moment ;  but  he  was  made  to  understand  that 
it  was  a  mistake.  At  another  time  the  same  daugh- 
ter went  to  the  shed  in  the  evening  with  a  lantern  to 
get  potatoes  for  breakfast.  While  filling  her  pan, 
two  large  Indians,  hideously  painted  and  wearing 
an  extra  amount  of  feathers,  appeared  before  her. 
Evidently  they  intended  to  frighten  her,  and  they 
did  of  course.  One  of  them  dangled  his  tomahawk 
in  front  of  him  that  it  might  glisten  in  the  light  of 
her  lantern.  She  lost  no  time  in  returning  to  the 
house,  the  Indians  following.  On  entering  the 
room,  pale  as  any  snov/  that  ever  covered  the  prai- 
rie, she  said,  "  Indians,  father,"  and  stepped  behind 
him.  The  Indians  courteously  responded,  and, 
lookin<^  at  the  crirl,  thev  indicated  to  the  doctor  that 


276  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

she  was  afraid  of  them,  and  proceeded  to  say  what 
the  doctor  could  not  understand.  At  that  time  a. 
Frenr.h  girl,  who  had  lived  among  the  Indians,  was 
w^orking  for  the  family,  and  she  conversed  with 
them.  They  said  that  they  liked  the  little  girl  and 
would  buy  her ;  that  they  "  would  give  ten  cents  for 
her."  That  offer  did  not  obtain  her.  After  this  the 
doctor  procured  a  watch  dog,  which  the  Indians  held 
in  mortal  terror.  They  would  come  within  hailing 
distance  of  the  house,  and  call  out  to  have  the  dog 
taken  care  of.  It  is  a  singular  fact  that  nearly  all 
dogs,  horses,  and  oxen  hated  Indians,  and  would 
manifest  their  hatred  emphatically.  The  presence 
of  an  Indian  would  render  one  of  the  doctor's  oxen 
almost  unmanageable. 

At  one  time  the  doctor  was  going  to  the  woods 
for  the  day.  It  was  in  the  winter,  and  he  carried 
on  his  sled  provender  for  the  oxen  and  a  jug  of 
coffee  for  the  men.  Several  Indians  met  him,  and 
rather  authoritatively  demanded  "  that  jug  of  whis- 
key." They  were  assured  that  it  was  coffee  and 
not  whiskey,  but  they  would  not  be  convinced  till 
the  doctor  poured  some  of  it  out  into  the  snow. 

We  have  adduced  these  facts  that  the  reader  may 
readily  appreciate  the  doctor's  tactics  in  subjugating 
wild  Indians.  One  day  he  observed  that  several 
squaws,  who  came  into  the  woods  to  cut  dry  limbs 
from  the  trees  for  burning,  had  very  small  and  dull 
axes.  He  exhibited  his  own  to  them,  heavier  and 
very  sharp,  and  showed  them  how  easily  it  would 
cut  the  driest  limb.      He  learned  that  they  had  no 


PIONEER  LIFE. 


277 


way  cf  sharpening  their  axes ;  so  he  made  one  of 
the  number  understand  that  he  would  sharpen  her 
axe  if  she  would  bring  it  to  the  house  at  a  specified 
time.  The  squaw  was  prompt,  and  the  doctor  scon 
put  a  keen  edge  upon  her  axe.  A  more  delighted 
squaw  than  she,  with  her  sharp  implement,  was 
never  seen  on  a  prairie.  That  she  carried  a  very 
favorable  report  to  her  uncivilized  sisters  vv-as  proved 
to  the  doctor  by  the  appearance  of  a  bevy  of  them 
on  the  following  day,  with  axes  to  be  sharpened. 
He  found  that  somebody  besides  Yankees  and  poli- 
ticians had  "  axes  to  grind."  As  his  object  was  to 
conquer  the  red  men  and  their  "  better  halves  "  with 
kindness,  he  did  not  shrink  from  the  unexpectel 
burden  of  labor  imposed.  If  sharpening  axes  would 
open  the  way  to  their  hearts,  then  he  believed  in 
that  sort  of  gospel.  Another  man  might  have  been 
suspicious  that  he  was  sharpening  axes  for  his  own 
beheading,  but  the  doctor  did  "not  dream  of  such  a 
thing.  He  was  after  a  treaty  of  peace  with  the 
tribes  of  the  forest,  the  Sioux  and  Chippewas,  whc 
were  then  waging  war  with  each  other,  and  he 
fully  expected  to  succeed.  His  tactics  proved  to  be 
eminently  sagacious.  The  squaws  had  found  a 
model  pioneer.  A  man  who  would  sharpen  thf  ir 
axes  without  money  and  without  price,  must  be  a 
better  friend  to  them  than  any  Indian  agent  whom 
the  "Great  Father"  had  sent  into  their  domains. 
The  axe  treaty  became  a  fixed  fact. 

The  doctor  was  wont  to  extract  teeth  for  any  suf- 
fering  neighbor  or  traveller  who  stood  in  need  of 


278  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

such  service.  After  winning  the  confidence  of  the 
Indians,  he  offered  his  services  to  them  in  that  line, 
and  they  were  accepted.  One  day  an  aunt  of  the 
two  Indian  boys,  who  were  still  in  his  family,  came 
to  see  them.  She  was  suffering  with  the  toothache. 
The  doctor  examined  the  tooth,  and  proposed  to 
pull  it.  He  took  her  to  the  door-step,  where  he 
performed  the  operation.  She  was  a  ponderous 
woman,  as  fat  and  disgusting  a  squaw  as  ever 
darkened  his  doors.  Putting  his  arm  around  her 
neck,  with  his  hand  under  her  chin  that  he  might 
hold  her  firmly,  the  tooth  was  out  in  a  trice.  But  the 
dusky  lady  swooned  and  fainted  clear  away  in  the 
doctor's  arms.  In  the  midst  of  the  scene,  who  should 
appear  but  Squire  Mott,  now  a  leading  citizen  of 
Faribault ;  and  he  exclaimed,  "  Oh,  doctor,  who  ever 
would  have  thought  of  beholding  this  !  " 

However,  such  dental  courtesies  had  their  effect, 
no  doubt.  Perhaps  their  importance  entitles  them 
to  be  known  as  a  tooth  treaty. 

At  another  time  he  came  across  a  squaw  in  the 
woods  who  was  trying  to  bind  up  a  severe  cut  on 
the  leg  of  her  son.  He  had  cut  his  limb  badly  with 
a  hatchet.  The  doctor  expressed  his  sympathy  for 
the  boy,  and  offered  to  dress  the  wound  himself. 
She  gladly  accepted  his  offer,  and  seemed  grateful 
for  the  service  rendered.  Ascertaining  where  she 
lived,  he  told  her  that  he  would  come  to  her  tcfee 
(house)  the  next  day  with  suitable  bandages,  and 
dress  it  again,  —  all  of  which  gratified  her  very 
much.    On  the  next  day,  taking  with  him  a  quantity 


PIONEER  LIFE.  279 


of  court-plaster  and  bandages,  he  found  her  ''  tepee," 
and  dressed  the  Hmb  more  elaborately.  Of  course, 
the  kind  act  gave  him  prestige  among  the  children 
of  the  forest. 

At  still  another  time  he  was  going  several  miles, 
when  he  overtook  a  squaw  bearing  a  heavy  burden. 
He  stopped,  and  motioned  to  her  to  ride  on  his  sled, 
and  directed  her  to  sit  on  a  box  he  was  carrying. 
She  gladly  accepted  his  invitation.  When  she  laid 
down  her  burden,  he  inquired,  by  signs,  what  she 
had  there. 

"  Pappoose,"  she  replied  — (her  baby). 

"  Indian  or  squaw  ?  "  asked  the  doctor,  meaning 
"boy"  or  "girl." 

"Indian,"  she  said. 

And  he  learned  that  the  child  was  dead,  and  she 
was  carrying  it  twelve  miles  away  for  burial. 

The  doctor  carried  her  as  far  as  he  went,  for  which 
the  sorrowing  mother  was  very  thankful. 

The  family  had  not  been  long  in  Minnesota  before 
they  learned  that  a  pioneer's  house  must  be  a  free 
hotel.  Sometimes  as  many  as  four  travellers  would 
call  for  food  and  lodgings  in  a  single  night.  With 
his  characteristic  kindness,  the  doctor  provided  bed- 
ding with  which  beds  for  several  visitors  could  be 
extemporized  at  short  notice.  Several  extra  plates 
at  the  table  were  often  required.  During  the  second 
winter  of  his  residence  there  his  house  was  crowded 
with  permanent  residents.  The  doctor  invited  Rev 
Mr.  Willey,  of  Maine,  who  was  in  feeble  condition, 
to  spend  that  winter  in  his  family  for  his  health.    He 


28o  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

also  invited  an  intemperate  young  man  to  do  the 
same,  thinking  that  he  might  reclaim  him.  He  also 
gave  a  home  to  a  carpenter,  that  winter,  in  his 
house,  though  the  young  man  did  a  little  work  in 
his  line  for  him.  Still  another  young  man,  the  son 
of  a  personal  friend  of  the  doctor's,  whom  he  thought 
might  be  benefited,  spent  the  winter  there  by  invita- 
tion. And  all  this  was  without  pay — a  free  gift  I 
Nor  did  the  recipients  enjoy  the  hospitality  so  much 
as  the  doctor  enjoyed  his  acts  of  kindness. 

Nor  was  this  all.  During  that  winter  Mrs.  Jewett 
proposed  to  teach  her  children ;  and  the  neighbors 
hearing  of  it,  besought  her  to  teach  their  children  also. 
There  was  no  school  in  Faribault  yet,  of  course. 
Qiiite  a  number  of  new  families  who  needed  in- 
struction, had  settled  there  within  the  year.  She  had 
three  of  her  own  children  to  teach,  and  "more  could 
be  taught  as  well  as  not."  The  doctor  entered  into  the 
project  with  all  his  heart,  and  the  result  was  a  day- 
school  of  fifteen  scholars,  taught  without  charge. 
The  following  season  there  was  such  a  rush  of  emi- 
gration thither  that  a  public  school  was  established, 
and  Mrs.  Jewett  taught  it  in  her  own  house  until 
sickness  prostrated  her. 

There  was  no  place  of  Sabbath  worship  within 
many  miles  when  Dr.  Jewett  went  to  Minnesota.  It 
seemed  strange  and  sad  to  him,  amidst  the  impres- 
sive silence  and  enchanting  verdure,  to  reflect  that 
there  was  no  public  recognition  of  God,  whose  care 
and  goodness  were  so  manifest  in  the  beauty  and 
grandeur  of  nature.     A  friend,  who  rode  over  the 


PIONEER  LIFE.  281 


green  prairies  with  him,  recalls  with  what  touching 
pathos  he  recited  the  words  that  Cowper  put  into  the 
mouth  of  Alexander  Selkirk  in  the  island  of  Juan 
Fernandez : 

"  Religion  !  what  treasure  untold 

Resides  in  that  heavenly  word  ! 
More  precious  than  silver  and  gold, 

Or  all  that  this  earth  can  afford. 
But  the  sound  of  the  church-going  bell 

These  valleys  and  rocks  never  heard. 
Never  sighed  at  the  sound  of  a  knell, 

Or  smiled  when  a  Sabbath  appeared." 

As  soon  as  possible  he  established  a  Sabbath 
school  and  public  worship  in  his  own  house. 
Making  known  the  situation  to  the  Eliot  Church  in 
Newton,  Massachusetts,  which  he  helped  to  estab- 
lish, they  sent  him  a  Sabbath-school  library  of  two 
hundred  and  ^\i\.y  volumes. 

Unwittingly  the  doctor  ca^e  ^'  around  into  the 
ministry,"  as,  in  his  boyhood,  the  neighbor  said  he 
would.  It  was  a  treat  to  the  families  for  miles 
around  to  have  Sabbath  worship  established ;  and  a 
few,  who  lived  five  or  six  miles  away,  came  with  ox- 
teams.  Benches  were  extemporized  by  placing 
boards  on  blocks  of  wood  of  suitable  height.  The 
doctor  conducted  the  services,  which  consisted  of 
prayers,  singing,  and  the  reading  of  a  sermon  or  an 
exposition  of  the  Scriptures.  The  exposition  and 
remarks  by  the  doctor  were  highly  valued  by  the 
audience  for  their  practical  character.  Few  theo- 
logical professors  could  excel  Dr.  Jevvett  in  clear, 


282  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWET'i. 

original,  and  bright  expositions  of  the  Bible.  He 
was  never  dry  or  dull.  An  occasional  flash  of  wit 
would  appear,  lighting  up  the  subject  with  a  halo. 
The  conclusion  was  that  a  good  minister  was  found 
in  the  mirthful  pioneer.  Nor  could  any  one  tell  in 
which  sphere  the  doctor  proved  himself  the  more 
efficient,  — on  the  farm,  in  the  woods,  as  a  mechanic, 
physician,  temperance  lecturer,  or  preacher.  He 
interested  them  so  much  in  whatever  he  did  that 
comparisons  were  out  of  the  question. 

One  intelligent  woman  from  Massachusetts,  al- 
most as  keen  as  the  doctor  at  repartee,  disliked  the 
country  very  much.  Her  husband  removed  thither 
at  the  doctor's  suggestion,  so  that  she  felt  at  liberty 
to  discuss  the  matter  freely  w^th  her  old  friend. 
Half  in  earnest  and  half  jocosely,  she  would  berate 
the  West,  and  declare  that  there  was  no  beauty  or 
profit  in  the  land  that  she  should  desire  it.  Again 
and  again  the  wit  an4  logic  of  one  came  into  colli- 
sion with  that  of  the  other,  and  many  a  time  hearty 
laughs  were  enjoyed  by  listeners  over  the  spicy 
encounters.  One  Sabbath  morning  the  doctor  was 
not  quite  ready  when  the  time  of  service  arrived, 
and  he  gave  the  hymn-book  to  this  lady,  asking  her 
to  select  a  hymn  for  him.  She  did  so,  and  put  a 
mark  into  the  book.  On  opening  it  to  give  out  the 
hymn,  he  was  taken  aback  to  find  the  hymn, 

"  Oh,  what  a  wretched  land  is  this, 
That  yields  us  no  supply  ! " 

If  the  doctor  was  ever  vanquished  by  a  woman, 


PIONEER  LIFE.  283 


he  was  then.  Had  it  been  other  than  a  religious 
meeting,  there  would  have  been  an  explosive  laugh- 
ter. As  it  was,  the  religion  of  that  service  was  con- 
siderably diluted  by  the  merriment  occasioned. 

Within  two  years  after  settling  upon  the  Minne- 
sota claim,  so  many  people  had  taken  up  their  resi- 
dence in  Faribault,  that  Dr.  Jewett  proposed  the 
organization  of  a  church  at  the  centre  of  the  town. 
So  the  place  of  worship  was  transferred  to  another 
dwelling  at  the  centre,  and  a  church  was  organized 
with  seven  members.  Dr.  Charles  Jewett,  his  wife, 
daughter,  and  two  sons,  constituting  five  of  the 
number.  Now,  the  population  of  that  town  is  over 
six  tliousand,  the  membership  of  the  church  two 
hundred  and  twenty-five.  Sabbath  school  more  than 
two  hundred,  and  a  congregation  of  over  half  a  thou- 
sand. And  the  church  is  but  twenty-three  years 
old. 

Dr.  Jewett  was  not  satisfied  with  worshipping  in 
a  dwelling  and  school-house  ;  (after  the  erection  of  a 
school-house  the  Sabbath  services  were  held  in  it.) 
He  proposed,  within  a  year  from  the  organization 
of  the  church,  that  a  house  of  worship  should  be 
built.  Many  families  had  settled  at  the  centre  of 
the  town,  though  few  of  them  had  money  to  contrib- 
ute to  the  object.  Dr.  Jewett  was  earnest  and  per- 
sistent. He  was  prepared  to  make  sacrifices  himself, 
ard  he  would  write  to  Eastern  friends  for  contribu- 
tions. At  length  the  interest  awakened  justified  the 
effort.  A  subscription  paper  was  circulated  among 
the  people,  and  at  the  same  time  the  doctor  wrote  to 


284  L^FE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

Rev.  Jacob  Ide,  D.  D.,  of  West  Medway,  Mass., 
and  others,  soliciting  aid.  Dr.  Ide  published  the 
communication  of  Dr.  Jewett  in  the  Congregational- 
ist  of  May  9,  1856,  with  remarks  of  his  own.  Dr. 
Ide  said : 

"  The  following  letter  from  Dr.  Jewett  is  one  of  great 
interest.  Though  the  churches,  in  the  present  state  of 
♦^hings,  cannot  respond  to  the  call,  which  every  individual 
church  at  the  West  might  be  disposed  to  make,  yet  such 
are  the  circumstances  of  the  community  in  which  Dr. 
Jewett  is  located,  and  such  are  the  feelings  of  the  friends 
of  temperance  and  religion  in  the  commonwealth  toward 
him  for  his  long  and  self-denying  and  effective  labors  in 
the  temperance  cause,  that  they  will,  it  is  believed,  deem 
it  a  privilege  to  respond  to  the  affecting  appeal  whicli  he 
now  makes  for  a  little  assistance"  at  their  hands.  Medway 
will  cheerfully  pay  the  lax  which  is  laid  upon  her." 

The  letter  of  Dr.  Jewett  filled  a  column  and  a  half 
in  the  Congregationalist,  and  was  regarded  as  a 
valuable  document  for  the  information  it  contained 
about  the  resources  and  promise  of  Minnesota,  to- 
gether with  its  moral  and  spiritual  necessities.  We 
have  only  space  for  the  doctor's  earnest  plea  for 
help  based  on  the  reasons  advanced. 

"  Rev.  and  Dear  Sir  :  Worn  and  wearied  by  hard 
service  in  the  temperance  cause,  I  thought  to  secure  a 
little  release  from  responsibilities,  and  some  relief  from 
severe  toil,  by  removing  westward,  and  devoting  myself 
to  the  quiet  labor  of  cultivating  the  soil.  Well,  here  I 
am,  where  the  circumstances  that  surround  me  call  for  as 
severe  and  continuous  labor  as  I  have  ever  been  called  to 
perform,  though  I  think  the  character  of  the  service  more 


PIONEER  LIFE,  285 


conducive  to  bodily  health  than  that  to  which  I  have  been 
accustomed.  I  am,  as  you  see  by  the  post-mark,  in  the 
territory  of  Minnesota,  sixty  miles  south  of  St.  Paul, 
forty  west  of  the  Mississippi,  and  in  latitude  forty-four ; 
on  the  very  outskirts  of  civilization,  where  the  Indian 
chases  the  deer  and  the  farmer  follow^s  the  plough  over 
the  same  acres,  where  barbarism  and  social  refinement 
meet  and  mingle,  and  where  heathenism  and  infidelity 
must  be  met  on  their  own  ground,  and  conquered  by 
Christian  faith  and  Christian  love.  .  .  .  Last  summer  a  few 
of  us,  feeling  our  responsibilities  and  spiritual  needs,  sus- 
tained at  the  village,  two  miles  and  a  half  distant  from 
my  residence,  religious  worship,  through  a  large  portion 
of  the  season,  where  only  the  summer  previous  had  stood 
more  than  a  hundred  lodges  of  the  Sioux  Indians.  .  .  . 

*'  There  are  here  about  twenty  male  members  of  Con- 
gregational churches,  and  perhaps  as  many  females,  who 
will  unite  in  the  formation  of  a  church ;  and  the  seven- 
teenth of  May  is  fixed  upon  as  the  time  for  organization. 
We  have  as  yet  no  place  of  worship,  and  hold  our  meet- 
ings in  private  houses.  We  want  to  build  a  church  as 
early  in  the  summer  as  possible,  as  there  is  no  private 
house  in  the  village  or  on  the  neighboring  prairies  large 
enough  to  scat  one  half  the  number  who  would  attend  on 
our  worship  if  we  shall  be  able  to  secure,  as  we  hope  to, 
a  faithful  and  able  religious  teacher.  But  how  we  are  to 
accomplish  what  we  so  ardently  desire,  puzzles  our  bump 
of  calculation  not  a  little,  and  draws  pretty  heavily  on  our 
bank  of  faith.  .  .  . 

"  Our  old  friends  in  the  East  must  help  us  a  little,  until 
we  can  get  fairly  on  our  feet,  and  then,  with  the  blessing 
of  God,  we  hope  to  stand  and  become,  in  turn,  helpers  of 
others.  .  .  . 

"  Minnesota  is  to  be,  I  believe,  the  New  England  of  the 


286  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

West,  and  exert,  when  it  shall  take  its  place  among  the 
states  of  the  Union,  a  decided  influence,  and  that,  too,  on 
the  light  side  of  those  great  questions  which  are  now 
agitating  the  country. 

"  The  followers  of  His  Holiness  the  Pope,  ever  ready- 
to  seize  on  the  best  points,  have  contracted  to  have  a 
church  built  here  early  in  the  summer.  Oh  !  shall  that 
be  the  first  church-edifice  in  this  lovely  region.?  God  and 
his  faithful  people  forbid  !  " 

This  call  was  quite  liberally  responded  to  in  Mas- 
sachusetts, the  ladies  of  Dr.  Ide's  church  contrib- 
uting forty-five  dollars.  The  church  in  Millbury, 
where  the  doctor  lived  six  years,  gave  thirty-five 
dollars ;  the  neighboring  church  at  Whitinsville  pre- 
sented a  bell ;  and  the  Eliot  church  at  Newton, 
which  p-ave  the  Sabbath-school  library,  contributed 
more  than  a  hundred  dollars,  accompanied  with  their 
prayers  and  blessing.  We  suspect  that,  when  the 
doctor  received  the  latter  gift,  he  must  have  been 
satisfied  as  never  before  with  his  sacrifices  in  found- 
\x\^  with  others  the  aforesaid  church  in  Massachu- 
setts.  It  was  a  faying  operation,  if  for  nothing 
else  than  to  take  a  part  in  the  benevolent  work  at 
Faribault.  In  less  than  three  years  from  the  time 
that  Dr.  Jewett  settled  in  Faribault,  he  had  the  pleas- 
ure of  seeing  a  Sabbath  school  and  church  organized, 
and  a  house  of  worship  erected.  As  he  expressed  it, 
"we  had  a  church-edifice  completed,  a  bell  hung  in 
the  tower,  awakening  the  prairie  echoes,  before  one 
half  the  people  who  went  there  to  worship  had  their 
own  houses  properly  covered  and  provided  with 
comforts." 


PIONEER  LIFE. 


5«7 


This  Christian  enterprise  alone  is  all  the  monu- 
ment that  Dr.  Jewett  need  to  have.  It  was  born  in 
his  large,  loving  heart,  and  cradled  and  nursed  by 
his  vvatchful  interest  and  prayers.  The  result  is  far 
better  than  he  devised ;  but  it  is  according  to  God's 
rich  grace  towards  men  who  lay  foundations  in  faith 
and  love,  without  regard  to  personal  aggrandize- 
ment. It  was  true  missionary  work  that  he  per- 
formed, casting  seed  upon  all  waters ;  and  he  lived 
to  behold  the  remarkable  transformation  —  "the  wil- 
derness and  solitary  place  to  blossom  as  the  rose." 


House  built  by  Dr.  Jewett  in  Minnesota.  —  Grinding 
Axes  for  the  Squaws.  —  See  page  277. 


288  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT, 


XIV. 

PIONEER  LIFE  CONTINUED. 

DR.  JEWETT  came  near  losing  his  life  in  1856, 
by  drowning  in  Cannon  Lake.  His  wood-lot 
was  on  the  other  side  of  the  lake  —  three  miles  dis- 
tant—  and  he  went  thither  to  work,  with  his  two 
sons  and  two  hired  men.  It  was  in  the  summer, 
when  mosquitoes  were  abundant,  and  laborers  were 
obliged  to  wear  thick  clothes  to  protect  themselves 
from  these  pests.  At  noon,  when  the  doctor  and 
his  men  and  boys  were  eating  their  dinner,  the  two 
yoke  of  oxen,  chained  together,  started  for  home 
across  the  lake,  and  they  were  not  noticed  until 
they  had  waded  quite  a  distance  into  the  water. 
One  of  the  sons  present  (who  is  now  Professor  of 
Chemistry  in  the  Imperial  University  at  Tokio,  Ja- 
pan) shall  tell  the  remainder  of  the  thrilling  tale  : 

"•Father  immediately  unfjistened  the  horse,  which  stood 
near  by,  and  led  her  by  a  zigzag  course  down  the  steep  bank 
to  the  water's  edge.  Here  he  mounted  her,  and  rode  into 
the  lake  as  fast  as  possible,  to  get  ahead  of  the  cattle  before 
they  should  reach  deep  water,  where  they  must  swim.  He 
was  urging  his  horse  forward  so  intently  that  he  did  not 


PIONEER  LIFE. 


289 


notice  when  the  cattle  went  beyond  their  depth  ;  and  so 
he  continued  until  his  horse  began  to  swim.  At  once  he 
saw  that  the  horse  was  too  h'ght  to  sustain  his  weight  long, 
and  he  attempted  to  turn  her  about  by  causing  her  to  swim 
in  a  circle  ;  but  she  soon  sank  under  his  weight,  and  he 
was  obhged  to  slip  from  her  back  and  attempt  to  swim 
to  the  shore.  The  wind  was  blowing  hard  against  him, 
causing  the  waves  to  beat  into  his  face,  greatly  retarding 
his  progress.  His  thick  clothes  and  heavy  shoes,  also, 
hindered  him  so  much  that  he  could  make  very  little 
headway.  He  wrenched  off  one  shoe,  that  happened  to 
be  untied,  but  was  unable  to  remove  the  other.  Filling 
his  lungs  with  air,  he  dropped  down  to  the  bottom  of  the 
lake,  untied  and  removed  the  shoe,  and  succeeded  in  re- 
gaining the  surface  of  the  water  without  strangling.  Parker 
and  I  were  running  up  and  down  the  shore,  hand-in-hand, 
trying  to  keep  in  sight  of  father ;  and  when  he  descended 
to  the  bottom  to  remove  his  shoe,  we  thought  he  was 
drowned,  and  began  to  cry  as  hard  as  we  could.  The 
men  on  the  shore,  also,  were  running  about,  vainly  look- 
ing for  some  way  of  getting  help  to  father.  After  re- 
moving his  shoes,  he  got  on  a  little  better,  though  he  still 
made  but  little  headway  against  the  wind  and  waves.  He 
was  becoming  exhausted,  and  every  little  while  would  try 
to  touch  bottom,  but  was  unsuccessful.  At  last,  having 
lost  all  his  strength,  and,  as  his  limbs  straightened  out, 
dropping  down  into  the  water  under  the  conviction 
that  he  must  drown,  his  toes  just  touched  the  bottom, 
leaving  his  head  out  of  water.  He  said  that  if  he  had 
not  touched  bottom  just  when  he  did,  he  must  have 
drowned,  as  he  could  swim  no  further.  After  wading  to 
the  shore,  he  directed  the  men  to  run  to  the  cabin  of  a 
Frenchman  on  the  shore,  and  get  him  to  go  out  in  his 
boat  to  unchain  and  unyoke  the  cattle,  now  swimming 

19 


290  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

about  in  a  circle,  that  they  might  swim  out.  Father  sat 
down  upon  a  large  stone  exhausted,  and  there  \A'atched 
the  Frenchman  until  he  separated  the  oxen  (a  work  re- 
quiring great  skill  and  carefulness),  and  all  of  them  swam 
to  the  further  shore. 

"  Father  was  now  alone  with  Parker  and  myself,  and 
he  said,  'Now,  boys,  let  us  thank  God  for  my  deliver- 
ance.' We  three  knelt  around  the  big  white  stone  on 
which  he  had  been  sitting,  and  there  he  thanked  God  fer- 
vently for  preserving  his  life." 

Dr.  Jewett  engaged  in  farming  with  all  his  heart. 
As  we  have  said  already,  he  was  greatly  in  love 
with  agriculture  ;  and  tilling  the  soil  in  that  country 
where  it  was  so  productive,  was  doubly  enjoyable. 
He  planted  and  sow^ed  from  twenty  to  thirty  acres 
annually,  wheat,  corn,  potatoes,  buckwheat,  oats, 
and  turnips,  turning  his  attention  to  fruits  as  soon 
as  possible.  It  was  a  novel  experience  to  him  to 
cultivate  corn  and  potatoes  in  rows  half  a  mile 
long ;  and  he  used  to  introduce  a  little  pleasantry 
into  the  labor  by  stopping  to  shake  hands  with  his 
men  as  they  met  in  the  field  when  ploughing  or  hoe- 
ing from  opposite  directions.  They  had  travelled  so 
far,  and  been  absent  so  long  in  ploughing  or  hoeing 
from  one  end  of  the  field  to  the  other  and  back,  that 
congratulations  were  fitting,  he  thought. 

To  him  there  was  something  impressive  and  grand 
in  the  thought  of  tilling  those  thrifty  acres,  so  far 
away  from  "  city  or  busy  mart ; "  and  often  he  came 
from  his  fields  into  the  house  repeating  Cowper's 
lines : 


PIONEER  LIFE. 


291 


"  I  am  monarch  of  all  I  survey  ; 

My  right  there  is  none  to  dispute  ; 
From  the  centre  all  round  to  the  sea, 
I  am  lord  of  the  fowl  and  the  brute." 

He  introduced  the  best  varieties  of  corn,  potatoes, 
and  fruits  that  were  known  in  the  East.  His  nu- 
merous friends  in  Massachusetts  were  glad  to  assist 
him  by  sending  scions  and  seeds  of  fruits.  The 
letters  of  several  of  his  correspondents  speak  of 
such  gifts  forwarded.  In  addition  to  the  more  sub- 
stantial products  of  the  earth,  he  introduced  cur- 
rants, raspberries,  gooseberries,  strawberries,  plums, 
the  crab-apple,  and  Chinese  sugar-cane.  One  of 
his  letters  before  us,  wa-itten  v/hen  he  was  on  a  trip 
to  New  England,  speaks  of  having  gathered  over 
one  thousand  cuttings  of  currants,  of  the  best  vari- 
eties. We  are  told  by  a  resident  of  Minnesota,  that 
varieties  of  corn,  potatoes,  and  fruits,  introduced 
by  him  into  that  and  other  states,  are  still  raised ; 
and  that  he  often  meets  with  parties  who  say,  that 
they  not  only  removed  to  Minnesota  in  consequence 
of  what  Dr.  Jewett  wrote  and  said  about  it,  but  also 
are  raising  the  kind  of  produce  that  he  introduced. 
An  amusing  incident,  illustrative  of  his  promptness 
and  ingenuity  to  meet  an  emergency,  is  told  of  him 
in  this  connection. 

He  wrote  to  a  friend  in  Rhode  Island  to  forward 
to  him  as  many  kernels  of  a  certain  kind  of  corn  as 
could  be  carried  in  a  letter.  He  was  waiting  for  it 
when  it  arrived.  He  put  it  to  soak  in  a  saucer  under 
the   shed,    and   went  into  the  field.     Presently  his 


292  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

little  daughter  came  running  to  say  that  "  the  rooster 
has  eaten  up  your  corn."  "Sure  of  it?"  said  the 
doctor;  "was  it  the  rooster?"  "Yes,  sir;  he  was 
eating  the  very  last  of  it  when  I  came  to  the  shed." 

Dr.  Jewett  sought  the  rooster  hurriedly,  and  in  an 
incredible  short  time  he  was  caught,  decapitated? 
and  his  crop  made  to  yield  up  its  stolen  contents. 
The  Rhode  Island  corn  was  recovered,  and  the  doc- 
tor gloried  in  its  golden  ears  at  harvest-time,  though 
his  rooster  lost  his  head  in  the  operation. 

His  love  of  agricultural  pursuits  appears  prom- 
inent in  his  letters.  We  think  that  four-fifths  of  his 
letters  speak  of  the  fruits  of  the  earth.  No  matter 
with  what  subject  a  letter  begins,  he  is  quite  likely 
to  introduce  agriculture  or  horticulture,  one  or  both, 
before  he  closes  it.  A  few  extracts  from  his  corre- 
spondence when  absent  from  home,  on  this  point, 
will  be  read  with  interest : 

"  This  weather  makes  me  quite  homesick.  I  want  to 
get  into  a  garden  somewhere.  1  have  an  unconquerable 
love  for  the  soil  and  its  cultivation.  .  .  .  Please  have  R. 
cover  over  the  boxes  that  contain  the  apple-seeds,  so  that 
they  will  not  feel  the  warmth  of  the  sun  and  start  too 
soon.'* 

"  To  the  gentleman  who  sent  you  the  gourd-seeds,  I 
wish  sent  a  potato  of  the  '  Shaker  Russett  *  variety.  You 
know  those  big  ones  that  we  dug  before  I  left.  Make  a 
little  bag,  say  one-half  of  one  of  those  bags  I  sent  the  apple- 
seeds  in,  cut  up  a  big  potato,  leaving  an  eye  on  each  piece  ; 
leave  the  pieces  a  little  longer  than  a  walnut ;  then  put 
them  in  the  bag  to  the  amount  of  half  a  pound  or  a  pound, 


PIONEER  LIFE. 


293 


sew  them  up  nicely,  and  forward  by  mail  to  Dr.  J.  L.  Free, 
Stevvartstovvn,  York  County,  Pa. 

"Also,  cut  off  a  few  slips  from  the  Jabe  Reed  apple- 
trees,  cutting  them  the  length  of  a  long  envelope,  or  about 
eight  inches  long,  seal  the  end  of  each  graft  with  wax,  and 
send  them  to  Nelson  Brooks,  Union  Village,  Courtland 
County,  N.  Y." 

"  The  new  breaking  should  be  cross-ploughed  this  au- 
tumn, so  as  to  turn  up  about  an  inch  and  a  half  or  two 
inches  of  soil  deeper  than  the  prairie  plough  went,  so  that 
the  frost,  the  commg  winter,  may  act  upon  the  soil  thus 
turned  up,  and  it  will  slack  up  in  the  spring  as  mellow  as 
ashes,  and  help  to  cover  the  wheat  that  should  be  sowed 
in  the  spring  as  early  as  possible." 

"  The  east  flat  of  twenty-five  acres  will  make  a  splendid 
cornfield  next  year,  and  rotation  of  crops  is  desirable. 
Cropped  with  corn  one  year,  it  will  produce  far  better 
wheat  the  next  year." 

"  I  sent  you  from  Lancaster  two  more  small  potatoes, 
said  to  be  a  very  superior  kind.  I  think  myself  they  are 
identical  with  the  Irish  Flukes  ;  but  they  say  not.  If  they 
come  through  safely,  take  good  care  of  them.  .  .  .  Look 
once  in  a  while  at  the  apple-seed  box,  and  see  that  noth- 
ing disturbs  it." 

"  Pretty  soon  it  will  be  time  to  expect  frost  in  Minne- 
sota. When  the  first  frost  comes  it  is  generally  light,  and 
will  not  injure  the  vitality  of  the  corn  ;  but  soon  after- 
wards I  would  have  the  seed-corn  picked  —  six  or  eight 
bushels  of  the  finest  ears.  If  the  corn  in  drying  shrinks  a 
little,  it  will  not  hurt  its  vitality  at  all.  Are  your  tomatoes 
ripe?     Did  the  cliickens  eat  them  up?     How  about  the 


294  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT, 

pumpkins  in  the  garden  and  in  the  field?     Is  the  corn  be. 
low  the  barn  pretty  ripe?     Tell  me  everything." 

"  I  went  out  yesterday  to  a  great  bed  of  spearmint  by 
the  roadside,  and  gathered  a  lot  of  the  seed,  as  it  was  fully 
ripe,  which  I  shall  bring  home  with  me.  Sowing  it  by 
the  roadside,  down  where  my  spring  crosses,  it  will  se- 
cure a  supply  of  that  convenient  'yerb'  for  all  time.  It 
is  well  to  have  such  things  about.*' 

*'  I  mailed  you  yesterday  two  bags  of  apple-seed,  which  I 
wish  put  into  a  box  of  moist  sand,  after  soaking  the  seeds 
six  hours.  Mix  them  thoroughly  with  fine,  clean  sand,  so 
that  in  the  spring  I  can  take  a  riddle  and  sift  the  sand  out 
before  planting  them  in  proper  seed-beds.  I  wish  to 
raise  some  thousands  of  stocks.  When  two  years  old 
we  will  graft  Siberian  Crab  of  the  finest  kinds  on  them, 
and  the  Red  Astracan,  Famosoe,  and  Duchess  of  Olden- 
burg.    These  will  stand  our  climate." 

"  I  wish  now  especially  to  i-emind  you  that  the  time  is 
fast  passing  when  it  will  do  to  cut  off  the  currant  cuttings. 
The  new.  shoots  that  grew  last  year  are  what  v/e  want. 
Those  from  the  great  English  bushes  I  would  hav^e  kept 
separate.  I  shall  take  up  a  good  many  of  them  and  sell 
when  I  get  there." 

"  I  got  of  the  friend  with  whom  I  stop  here  about  five 
pounds  of  the  Early  Rose  Potato  which  is  so  famous. 
It  is  the  most  splendid  potato  in  existence,  very  early, 
excellent  in  quality,  and  yields  enormous  crops.  From 
three  pounds  a  man  here  raised  nine  bushels." 

"You  speak  of  the  seed-corn.  No  matte:  how  thor. 
oughly  ripe  corn  is,  it  must  be  dry  to  resist  the  action  of 


PIONEER  LIFE. 


295 


the  frost.  If  ever  so  ripe,  and  a  little  damp,  freezing  will 
destroy  its  vitality.  It  will  not  dry  sufficiently  in  the  crib. 
I  think  it  will  be  found  in  the  spring  that  only  that  which 
was  brought  in  and  dried  will  sprout." 

"  Do  not  forget  to  have  F.  take  up  and  bring  with  him 
the  seeds  which  we  put  into  the  ground  last  autumn. 
There  were  two  boxes  of  cherry-stones,  and  a  box  of  the 
upland  cranberry.  Fruit  is  one  of  the  essentials,  whether 
we  keep  our  farm  to  live  on,  or  whether  we  shall  sell. 
The  amount  of  fruit  on  it  will  make  it  attractive  to  pur- 
chasers." 

"  You  did  right  in  the  sale  of  the  cow,  and  your  plans 
are  arranged  as  I  should  have  expected  of  a  lady  having 
superior  executive  abilities." 

"  Please  send  in  an  envelope  some  seeds  of  the  Hub- 
bard squash  to  Rev.  H.  H.  Bensen,  Mineral  Point,  Wis., 
and  Rev.  Calvin  Warner,  Plattville,  Wis.  Put  up  some 
of  the  pure  blood  seeds  also,  and  send  to  Mr.  Lee,  Depot 
Master,  Neponset,  111.,  and  say  to  him  a  part  of  them  are 
for  Rev.  Mr.  Barnes.  These  gentlemen  are  among  my 
most  active  friends." 

"  I  mailed  to-day  a  bag  of  a  new  variety  of  peas,  which, 
when  green,  are  bouncers ;  and  they  do  not  require  tall 
brush,  growing  only  two  and  a  half  feet  high." 

"  I  was  glad  to  hear  that  the  seeds  reached  you  safely, 
though  you  did  not  speak  specifically  of  having  received 
seeds  in  bags  at  three  diflerent  times.  First  I  sent  a  bag 
that  I  hired  a  boy  to  get  for  me.  Then  I  sent  two  bags 
with  pieces  of  white  cloth  sewed  on  them.  The  last  con- 
tained four  full  quarts  of  seeds,  and  cost  me  only  one  dol- 


-96  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

lar  besides  the  postage.  The  last  two  bags  I  sent  from 
Ehnira.  That  makes  five,  containing  in  all  nine  quarts 
of  seeds.  Did  they  all  reach  you?  The  potatoes  came 
safely,  you  say.     Keep  them  separate  from  all  others." 

"  I  have  gathered,  in  my  travels,  two  packages  of  seeds, 
which  I  send,  one  of  spearmint  and  the  other  of  penny- 
royal. I  got  them  in  my  walks  for  exercise.  We  will 
scatter  them  next  spring  where  the}'-  will  have  a  good 
chance,  and  they  will  take  care  of  themselves  as  the  dan- 
delions did.     I  have  never  seen  either  in  Minnesota." 

"  I  send  you  a  paper  of  sweet  corn  to-day,  and  some 
freshly  imported  ruta-baga  seed.  I  would  sov^^  some  of 
the  ruta-baga  where  the  York  cabbage-plants  were  raised 
last  year.  Has  the  ground  beyond  the  barnyard  been 
ploughed?  Has  C.  received  the  plough  I  sent  him  ;  and 
how  does  it  work?" 

Dr.  Jewett  left  Minnesota  in  1858,  but  he  retained 
and  rented  his  farm,  and  lived  again  in  that  state  in 
1867  and  1868.  The  foregoing  extracts  cover  that 
whole  period.  They  show  that  the  doctor  was  an 
enthusiast  in  agriculture  and  horticulture,  and  that 
his  knowledge  of  both  extended  to  the  very  minutise 
of  the  business.  We  can  readily  believe  the  state- 
ment before  mentioned,  that  Dr.  Jewett  introduced 
the  best  varieties  of  grain,  vegetables,  and  fruits 
raised  in  Minnesota.  If  that  and  the  neighboring 
states  lacked  apple-seed,  it  was  not  the  fault  of  the 
doctor. 

Nor  was  his  interest  in  the  tilling  of  the  soil 
confined  to  Minnesota.  As  already  intimated,  his 
entire  correspondence  abounds  in  testimony  of  his 


PIONEER  LIFE. 


297 


interest  in  this  direction.  Wherever  he  lived,  he 
had  a  garden  to  cultivate,  if  nothing  more ;  and 
neighbors  declared  that  he  would  gather  the  largest 
quantity  of  productions  from  the  smallest  lot  of  land 
of  any  man  in  town. 

From  other  correspondence,  not  relating  to  the 
Minnesota  home,  we  make  a  few  extracts. 

"  We  had  on  our  breakfast-table  this  morning  LSt. 
John's]  some  of  the  finest  potatoes  I  ever  tasted.  On  in- 
quiry, I  found  they  were  called  'Black  Kidneys.*  All 
assure  me  that  they  were  never  equalled  by  anything  in 
this  province.  I  sallied  out  after  breakfast,  and  found 
some  in  a  provision  store.  I  bought  a  peck ;  also  a  half 
peck  each  of  two  other  kinds,  the  '  Copper,'  and  '  Our 
Own.'  On  the  top  are  a  half-dozen  '  Calicoes,*  and  four 
of  the  '  Lawrence.'  " 

"  If  I  can  fish  up  a  pint  or  a  quart  more  seeds  in  my 
ti*avels,  I  shall  be  very  glad,  and  will  send  them  through 
by  mail.  The  grape-vines  may  be  covered  with  earth  any 
time.  The  grape  cuttings  need  not  be  taken  up  this  fall, 
but  covered  with  the  soil  just  where  they  are. 

"  Save  the  seeds  of  that  great  sunflower.  The  best  way 
is  to  cut  off  its  head  when  ripe,  and  hang  it  up  to  the 
roof,  so  that  the  mice  cannot  reach  it." 

"  I  came  across  a  new  variety  of  the  squash  here,  the 
seeds  of  which  I  shall  secure  and  bring  home  —  the 
*  Canadian  Marrow.'  That  is  the  shape,*  and  the  color 
that  of  a  rich  cream.  They  say  that  when  growing,  and 
quite  young  and  green,  it  makes  the  very  best  summer 
squash  possible,  while,  when  ripe,  it  is  the  richest  squash 
for  boilinjr  or  bakinsf." 

*  Referring  to  his  drawing  of  the  squash. 


298  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT. 

"  Tell  Mr.  H that  he  maj'  have  that  entire  lot  for 

two  years  if  he  will  fill  it  thoroughly  with  leaves ;  and 
when  he  wishes  to  take  up  the  trees  for  transplanting,  will 
leave  a  few,  at  proper  distances,  for  standards.  It  would 
make  a  first-rate  lot  for  nursery  purposes,  but  needs  to 
have  the  soil  lightened  up  with  vegetable  decay." 

"  I  am  partly  of  the  opinion  that  the  earth  filled  well  with 
a  deep  coating  of  leaves  will  be  greatly  improved  for  fruit- 
growing, as  it  will  keep  the  ground  light  and  open.  Our 
soil  consisting  largely  of  silex  or  sand,  and  alumina,  or  th*" 
elements  of  clay,  needs  vegetable  humus  to  render  it  jus 
right.  I  purposed  to  have  a  rack  made,  with  rounds 
about  four  feet  high,  and  a  top  round  or  rail  on  pur- 
pose to  draw  leaves.  I  would  have  the  front  end  put  to- 
gether permanently,  and  round  across  the  bottom  from 
side  to  side,  so  that  it  could  be  lifted  off  the  wagon  whole  ; 
but  for  convenience  of  unloading  I  would  have  the  back 
end  to  take  out." 

His  correspondence  shows  that  friends  in  Maine, 
Massachusetts,  Connecticut,  and  other  parts  of  the 
country,  frequently  sent  to  him  in  Minnesota,  scions, 
cuttings  and  seeds.  Apple,  plum,  pear,  chei^y,  cur- 
rant, corn,  potatoes,  are  among  their  generous 
contributions.  One  correspondent  informs  him  of 
over  a  thousand  scions  forwarded  in  a  box. 

During  the  last  twenty  years,  Dr.  Jevvett  occasion- 
ally lectured  upon  agriculture.  Had  the  Batavia 
Institute  flourished,  he  would  have  cultivated  a  few 
acres  of  land  belonging  to  the  Institute  for  the  pur- 
pose of  giving  practical  lessons  upon  agriculture  to 
the  students.     In   his  lectures  upon  agriculture,  he 


PIONEER  LIFE.  299 


gave  a  chemical  analysis  of  diflerent  soils,  and  their 
adaptation  to  different  crops  and  plants ;  also  the 
chemical  composition  of  plants,  and  their  uses  for 
the  growth  of  animals  ;  the  food  that  should  be  given 
for  growth  alone,  and  that  for  fattening  cattle. 

He  spent  the  winter  of  1854  ^^  New  England, 
lecturing  upon  the  agricultural  resources  of  the 
West.  He  had  maps  of  Minnesota,  Illinois,  and 
Iowa  carefully  prepared  under  his  own  eye,  from 
which  he  showed  the  formation  of  the  sides  of  many 
of  the  rivers  into  bluffs  and  table-lands.  He  took 
wdth  him  to  the  East,  long  narrow  boxes  containing 
large  slices  of  the  soil,  obtained  by  digging  down 
the  whole  depth  of  the  loam,  and  cutting  out  pieces 
to  fit  the  boxes,  in  which  their  shape  was  preserved. 
Some  of  these  were  over  three  feet  long,  rather 
ponderous  to  transport  for  lecturing  purposes,  but 
very  practical  in  their  use,  as  every  man  could  see 
for  himself  the  richness  of  the  soil.  Dr.  Jewett's 
lectures  were  very  popular,  and  his  parallelograms 
of  soil  caused  many  a  New  England  citizen  to  em- 
igrate thither.  A  journal  in  Manchester,  N.  H., 
where  he  lectured  before  the  L3xeum  of  the  city, 
spoke  as  follows  of  his  effort : 

''Dr.  Jewett  is  well  known  as  one  of  the  most  enter- 
taining and  useful  public  lecturers  in  this  country.  The 
last  fifteen  or  twenty  years  of  his  life  have  been  devoted 
in?inly  to  the  temperance  reformation  in  the  New  Eng- 
land states.  He  is  now  a  farmer  in  Batavia,  Illinois, 
and  is  also  connected  with  some  institution  of  learning  in 
that  section,  as  a  lecturer  upon  physiology,  chemistry,  and 


300  LIFE    OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

agriculture,  and  has  recently  closed  courses  of  lectures 
upon  these  subjects.  His  lecture  before  the  Lyceum  was 
upon  the  prairie  countiy  of  the  West,  its  natural  formation 
into  river  bottoms,  second  bottoms,  bluff  and  rolling 
prairies,  and  how  it  happened  to  have  this  formation ; 
its  geology,  geography,  climate,  and  natural  resources  in 
soil  and  minerals.  Also  the  manners,  customs,  and  con- 
ditions of  the  people,  agricultural  implements,  and  method 
of  tilling  the  soil,  and  the  variety  and  abundance  of  the 
harvests.  The  subject  was  illustrated  by  three  large  maps 
and  one  beautiful  diagram  ;  and  these,  in  connection  with 
the  doctor's  practical  views  and  humorous  anecdotes,  and 
pleasing  free  and  oft-hand  manner,  rendered  the  evening's 
entertainment  one  of  the  most  interesting  and  instructive 
with  which  our  Lyceum  has  ever  been  favored.  The 
audience  listened  an  hour  and  fifty  minutes,  manifesting 
unusual  interest  and  delight  to  the  last." 

At  the  close  of  one  of  his  lectures  upon  the  West, 
a  gentleman  in  the  audience  arose,  and  inquired : 
"  Would  not  such  soil  be  excellent  for  the  cultiva- 
tion of  tobacco?"  That  question  was  a  little  too 
much  for  the  doctor.  Straightening  himself  up, 
with  liohtning  in  his  eye,  he  answered  :  "  I  presume 
it  would ;  but  I  would  see  every  acre  of  my  quarter- 
section  sunk  so  deep  that  a  lake  should  occupy  its 
place,  before  one  acre  of  that  splendid  ^oil  should, 
with  my  consent,  be  used  to  supply  with  a  filth}-, 
poisonous  weed  the  depraved  appetites  of  men,  and 
to  abet  the  nuisance  of  tobacco-smoke,  cigar-stumps, 
and  stale  quids."     That  was  emphatic. 

We  have  no  data  from  which  to  estimate  the  ex- 
tent of  Dr.  Jewett's  farming  in  Minnesota,  except  a 


PIONEER  LIFE.  301 


single  memorandum  dated  September,  1868,  on 
which  is  the  amount  of  wheat  raised  upon  his  own 
farm  and  that  of  his  son  : 

"  On  my  farm         .  .         505  bushels 

On  Charles's        .         .         764 

Total,  1,269 
Also  999  bushels  of  oats." 

The  doctor's  experience  in  horticulture  caused  him 
to  invent  a  way  of  making  and  printing  convenient 
tags  for  fruit-trees,  in  1866.  It  was  done  by  the 
same  kind  of  a  machine  that  is  used  for  stamping 
buttons.  Strips  of  zinc,  of  the  requisite  length  and 
wiciih,  for  the  name  of  the  fruit  were  provided;  then 
the  "  die  "  was  used  the  same  as  type,  except  that 
the  "  die  "  raised  the  letters  on  the  one  side  and  de- 
pressed the  metal  in  on  the  other. 

Dr.  Jewett's  pen  was  employed  considerably,  dur- 
ing his  pioneer  life,  in  producing  articles  for  the 
press,  respecting  the  resources  of  Minnesota  and  the 
whole  West.  No  writer  ever  did  more  in  the  same 
time  to  induce  emigration  thither.  He  was  so  well 
known  throughout  our  own  country  and  the  British 
Provinces,  and  public  confidence  in  him  was  so  im- 
plicit, that  his  representations  were  at  once  accepted. 
His  writings,  too,  bore  internal  evidence  of  thorough 
acquaintance  with  the  West,  in  its  social,  agricul- 
tural, political,  scientific,  moral,  and  religious  capa- 
bilities. The  following  extract  from  an  unpublished 
article  found  among  his  papers,  will  be  read  with 
interest : 


302  LIFE  OF    CHARLES  JEWETT. 

"  The  prairies  of  Minnesota,  which  constitute  more 
than  half  of  its  surface,  are  much  more  rolhng  than  those 
of  Illinois,  and  consequently  better  watered.  The  soil 
differs  in  one  important  particular  from  the  soil  of  all  the 
prairie  states  below,  in  containing  a  much  larger  portion 
of  silex,  or  sand,  which  renders  it  more  friable,  increases 
its  absorbent  power,  and  brings  forward  vegetation  more 
rapidly.  The  soil  varies  in  depth  from  one  to  three  feet, 
and  is  rich  in  all  the  elements  of  fertility.   .  .  . 

"  The  peculiar  composition  of  our  soil  renders  it  quite 
unnecessary  to  stir  in  the  spring  ground  ploughed  the 
previous  autumn.  We  can  throw  on  the  wheat,  oats,  or 
barley  at  once,  and  cover  with  the  harrow  ;  or  if  we  aim 
at  a  crop  of  corn,  we  apply  the  marker,  and  proceed  to 
plant  at  once  ;  and  by  so  doing  we  get  a  better  crop  than 
we  do  where  the  ground  is  ploughed  in  the  spring.  All 
the  edible  roots  and  vegetables  grown  in  temperate  cli- 
mates, we  can  produce  in  Minnesota  by  simply  scattering 
the  seed  on  well  decomposed  soil,  and  covering  with  the 
harrow  or  rake.  As  there  are  few  weeds  the  first  two  or 
three  years,  no  labor  with  the  hoe  is  required.  When, 
however,  weeds  begin  to  show  themselves  among  growing 
crops,  great  care  must  be  taken  to  make  their  destruction 
complete,  otherwise  such  crops  of  them  will  be  produced 
as  no  eye  in  New  England  ever  saw. 

"  The  subsoil  of  our  prairies  is  very  peculiar.  It  is  a 
gravelly  loam  ;  and  a  considerable  part  of  the  pebbles 
which  constitute  the  gravelly  portion  are  of  limestone  in 
a  state  of  partial  decomposition.  The  spade  will  cut 
through  them  as  it  would  a  lump  of  very  soft  chalk ;  and 
when  thrown  up  and  exposed  to  the  influence  of  the  ele- 
ments, they  crumble  to  a  fine  powder. 

''  I  scarcely  need  to  inform  your  readers  that  in  a  rich, 
new  soil  containing  a  good  share  of  silex  in  its  composi- 


PIONEER  LIFE. 


303 


tion,  and  in  a  latitude  as  high  as  44°  north,  we  produce 
abundant  crops  of  potatoes  of  excellent  quality. 

"  We  have  the  winter  of  Central  Vermont  and  New 
Hampshire,  and  yet  we  have  the  summer  of  Philadelphia  , 
proven,  if  it  were  doubted,  by  the  fact  that  we  ripen  the 
southern  corn  which  cannot  be  ripened  in  Massachusetts. 

"Our  progress  in  establishing  the  arts  of  civilization 
may  be  judged  from  two  or  three  simple  facts.  Two 
years  ago  last  May  I  visited  Faribault,  which  then  con- 
tained one  framed  and  half  a  dozen  log  houses ;  now  it 
has  a  population  of  more  than  eighteen  hundred.,  with 
all  the  institutions  of  a  New  England  village.  Two  years 
ago  last  winter,  I,  with  the  aid  of  other  members  of  my 
family,  were  accustomed  to  grind,  in  a  hand-mill,  during 
the  evening,  the  corn  for  next  day's  use.  Now  we  have 
three  fine  flouring  mills,  with  all  the  modern  improve- 
ments, within  three  miles  of  my  door,  and  they  have  been 
vunnlng  all  winter  on  wheat  of  our  own  production." 

Dr.  Jewett  appeared  to  attach  a  kind  of  sacred- 
ness  to  the  objects  and  products  of  nature.  His 
manner  of  handling  and  speaking  of  them,  accom- 
panied by  his  intense  enthusiasm  over  them,  and  his 
natural  reverence  for  God  who  gave  them,  contrib- 
uted to  this  end.  His  letters  as  well  as  his  conver- 
sation denote  this.  A  friend  sends  one  of  his  epistles, 
from  which  we  extract  the  following  : 

"  I  watch  the  miracle  of  growth  in  my  garden  daily 
with  a  pleasure  which  is  quite  apart  from  the  thought  of 
the  increased  money  value  of  its  products.  \Vhat  a  mir- 
acle is  growth  !  How  the  carbon,  oxygen,  hydrogen,  and 
nitrogen  are  v/elded  or  wedded  together  in  such  various 
and  beautiful  forms  110  chemist  this  side  of  heaven  can 


304  L^^^   ^^  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

tell  us.  Shall  we  learn  the  unknown  truths  of  this  \\'orlcl 
tJiere?  Will  the  acquisition  of  knowledge,  coveted  and 
unattainable  here,  constitute  a  part  of  the  employir.ents 
and  enjoyments  of  the  better  country?  " 

If  any  man  in  the  world  ever  tilled  the  soil  under 
the  full,  deep  conviction  that  he  was  at  work  on 
"  God's  plantation,"  that  man  was  Dr.  Jewett.  Prob- 
ably his  admiration  of  nature  contributed  largely  to 
this  disposition  of  his  to  treat  the  soil  and  its  pro- 
ducts sacredly,  as  many  of  his  personal  friends  have 
noticed.  We  have  seen  him  make  a  dinner  of  ap- 
ples, all  the  while  discoursing  upon  the  delicious 
quahties  of  the  fruit,  the  "  miracle  "  of  its  produc- 
tion, and  the  goodness  of  the  Great  Giver.  We 
have  many  times  seen  him  come  in  with  an  apple  or 
a  pear  in  his  hand  that  he  had  purchased  on  the 
street —  a  rare  variety  that  he  had  not  raised —  and 
tell  of  its  excellences ;  then  carefully  wrap  it  in  pa- 
per and  lay  it  in  his  carpet-bag,  to  exhibit  to  other 
friends,  as  if  there  attached  to  its  growth  or  quality 
some  remarkable  natural  phenomenon  that  God's 
children  ought  to   see  and  respect. 

On  his  deathbed,  this  characteristic  of  the  man 
was  no  less  conspicuous.  When  the  expressed  juice 
of  the  orange  was  given  to  him,  he  beautifully  chris- 
tened it  "  golden  drink  !  "  "  blessed  juice  !  " 

The  second  year  of  his  residence  in  Faribault 
there  was  a  demand  for  a  hotel,  and  his  son  Rich- 
ard, though  not  a  professional  carpenter,  and  only 
twenty  years  old,  was  employed  to  frame  it.  Dr. 
Jewett  rathei    objected  to  putting  so  much  responsi- 


PIONEER  LIFE.  305 


bility  upon  an  inexperienced  youth,  but  was  silenced 
by  the  reply,  "  He  is  equal  to  it,  for  he  possesses  the 
ingenuity  of  his  father." 

While  he  lived  in  Minnesota  he  was  unexpectedl}/ 
called  to  perform  a  surgical  operation,  and  the  cir- 
cumstances furnish  further  proof  of  his  wonderful 
tact  and  efficiency  in  any  and  every  position.  A 
neighbor  accidentally  discharged  the  contents  of  a 
heavilv-loaded  musket  into  his  own  le^c-  The  limb 
was  so  mutilated  that  amputation  or  death  was  in- 
evitable. There  was  no  surgeon  within  two  or  three 
hundred  miles,  and  the  unfortunate  man  was  too 
poor  to  employ  one  if  there  had  been.  Dr.  Jewett, 
too,  had  sold  his  surgical  instruments  ten  or  fifteen 
3'ears  before.  What  could  be  done?  Dr.  Jewett 
resolved  to  amputate  the  limb,  for  he  could  do  'it 
v;ithout  money  and  without  price. 

He  took  his  razor  out  of  its  handle  and  put  it  into 
a  handle  made  for  the  purpose ;  then  he  sharpened 
a  fine  carpenter's  saw  as  well  as  he  could  ;  and 
with  these  pioneer  instruments  he  amputated  the 
limb.  V/ith  pure  spring  water  to  bathe  it,  and  a 
generous,  suitable  diet,  the  patient  prospered  finely, 
and  not  many  wrecks  elapsed  before  he  was  well 
again,  minus  one  leg. 

The  doctor  maintained  his  interest  in  the  anti- 
slavery  and  temperance  causes,  and  frequently  spoke 
upon  the  latter  subject  in  his  own  and  other  towns. 
His  old  friends  in  New  England,  among  whom  were 
Hon.  Neal  Dow,  Rev.  John  Pierpont,  and  Lucius 
M.  Sargent,  kept  him  well  posted  upon  temperance 
20 


3o6  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT. 

movements  in  the  East,  while  his  new  friends  in  the 
West  did  not  allow  his  talents  to  rust  for  want  of 
opportunities  to  speak. 

He  lectured  too,  as  we  have  seen  in  a  previous 
chapter,  upon  Shakespeare  and  Burns,  to  the  no 
small  delight  of  the  people  of  Faribault,  who  verily 
believed  that  the  cities  of  the  East  could  not  furnish 
a  better  public  reader  than  they  could  boast  in  their 
townsman,  Dr.  Jewett.  We  find  a  letter  from  a 
medical  gentleman  in  Maine,  who  lived  in  Faribault 
at  the  time  of  which  we  speak,  and  he  says  to  the 
doctor : 

*'  Reading  a  paper  called  The  Natio7zal  Temperance  Ad- 
vocate (1870),  I  saw  the  name  of  Dr.  Charles  Jewett  con- 
nected with  it.  Is  this  the  Dr.  Jewett  I  have  heard  lec- 
ture on  temperance  in  the  city  of  Boston  so  many  times? 
Is  it  the  Dr.  Jewett  who  lived  in  Minnesota  in  1S56,  and 
who  recited  the  Scotch  poetry  in  the  village  of  Faribault.'* 
If  so,  you  are  indeed  a  veteran,  and  the  right  man  in  the 
right  place." 

The  last  year  of  the  doctor's  pioneer  life  he  repre- 
sented Faribault  in  the  legislature  of  the  state.  No 
particular  issue  was  before  the  people  except  the 
general  reformatory  questions ;  and  the  doctor  was 
a  marked  man  to  represent  these,  so  that  public  at- 
tention was  directed  to  him  as  the  best  exponent  of 
progressive  ideas.  The  political  campaign  was  a 
close  one,  and  Dr.  Jewett  was  elected  by  only 
about  twenty  majority.  The  result  of  the  election 
was  not  known  on  the  morning  it  was  necessary  for 
the  representative-elect  to   start  for   St.   Paul,  the 


PIONEER  LIFE. 


307 


capital.  To  go  into  the  village  to  take  the  stage, 
and  learn  that  his  opponent  was  elected  instead  of 
himself,  would  be  too  much  of  a  joke  for  even  a 
noted  joker.  So,  putting  his  trunk  into  his  wagon, 
the  doctor  drove  near  to  the  village,  and  sent  a  mes- 
seniier  forward  to  learn  the  facts.  The  messenfier 
learned  that  the  doctor  was  elected,  and  returned  to 
conduct  him  into  the  villacre. 

o 

It  was  while  Dr.  Jewett  was  in  Minnesota  that  the 
friends  of  temperance  in  England  made  a  special 
effort  to  secure  his  labors  in  that  country.  Hon. 
Neal  Dow,  who  spent  several  months  in  great  Bri- 
♦■ain,  was  delegated  to  induce  the  doctor,  if  possible, 
to  visit  Great  Britain,  and  we  find  a  letter  from  that 
gentleman,  strongly  urging  him  to  accede  to  their 
request.  But  Dr.  Jewett  never  visited  the  mother- 
country.  It  could  not  have  been  because  of  poverty, 
since  good  pay  for  his  services  awaited  him  there. 
We  think  the  chief  reason  was,  that  it  was  too  far 
from  home  —  that  home  of  which  we  shall  hear 
more  particularly  in  future  pages.  If  he  was  at  all 
ambitious  to  spread  his  fame  in  that  distant  land, 
that  ambition  was  brought  into  complete  subjection 
to  his  love  of  home  and  family.  His  friends  at  home 
deeply  regret  that  their  friends  abroad  had  no  oppor- 
tunity to  see  his  pleasant  face  and  hear  his  voice. 

An  extract  from  a  letter  by  D.  W.  Humphrey, 
Esq.,  cf  Faribault,  wdll  close  what  we  have  to  say 
of  Dr.  Jewett's  pioneer  life  : 

''  We  often  recount  to  our  children  and  to  each  other 
little  reminiscences  of  our  early  days  here  and  our  visits 


3o8  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

to  Jewett  Valley,  and  our  frequent  intercourse  with  Dr. 
Jcwett  and  family.  We  have  many  things  to  remind  us 
of  those  early  days.  Amon-g  others,  we  have  still  some 
of  the  plum-trees  which  we  got  from  Dr.  Jcwett  over 
twenty  years  ago,  he  having  selected  the  seed  from  wild 
plums  in  the  woods  ;  and  oia"  currant-bushes  are  all  from 
the  Jewett  fiirm,  and  from  slips  the  doctor  brought  from 
Wisconsin  or  Illinois.  The  many  pleasant  visits  between 
here  and  the  farm  are  so  many  pleasant  memories.  Mrs. 
Humphrey  used  to  sa}',  when  we  were  about  to  go  to  Dr. 
Jewett's,  '  Now  let  us  get  all  our  work  done,  for  we  can't 
get  away  before  night  when  we  once  get  there.' 

"  There  was  a  fascination  in  his  conversation  that  al- 
ways kept  us  in  spite  of  any  resolves  to  come  away 
early.  And  when  he  came  here  his  hurry  was  usually 
forgotten.  If  once  he  commenced  to  quote  poetr}^,  Shakes- 
peare, and  Burns,  and  Burleigh,  and  sometimes  his  own, 
would  flow  in  a  constant  stream  and  in  such  a  manner  as 
to  keep  our  rapt  attention.  He  was  by  all  odds  the  best 
reader  and  reciter  I  ever  heard,  and  I  have  heard  plenty 
of  professed  readers  and  elocutionists.  One  did  not  think 
of  Dr.  Jewett,  but  saw  and  felt  and  believed  all  he  re- 
cited. 

"  I  recollect  once,  some  thirty  years  ago,  he  came  into 
an  office  in  Westfield  when  I  happened  to  be  alone.  I 
had  known  him  some  years  then.  As  he  turned  to  go 
out,  something  brought  up  Shakespeare,  and  he  recited 
from  memory  Hotspur's  apology  to  the  king  for  his  deny- 
ing his  prisoners  to  him,  when,  all  smarting  with  his 
wounds,  the  popinjay  with  pouncet-box  comes  to  him  and 
discourses  about  spermaceti  for  bruises,  and  how,  onl}''  for 
these  vile  guns,  he  himself  v/ould  have  been  a  soldier, 
&c.  It  was  really  wonderful.  I  was  his  only  hearer ; 
but  I  doubt,  had  the  audience  been  thousands,  if  he  could 


PIONEER  LIFE. 


309 


have  rendered  it  better.  I  never  heard  that  recitation 
equalled. 

"  One  winter's  day,  perhaps  twenty  years  or  so  ago,  he 
drove  up  to  our  door  here  (we  were  on  the  bare,  unfenced 
prairie  then)  and  said  :  '  I  was  going  home  by  way  of 
the  lake,  where  I  have  a  grist ;  and  as  it  would  make  me 
late  home  should  I  be  delayed  there,  I  thought  I  would 
just  call  and  give  my  horse  a  few  oats ;  and,  sister  (he  al- 
ways called  Mrs.  Humphrey  sister),  if  you  will  let  me 
have  just  a  bowd  of  bread  and  milk,  I'll  soon  be  off.' 

"  After  eating  his  lunch,  he  said  :  '  Now  I  will  lie  down 
on  this  lounge  just  twenty  minutes  for  a  little  nap.  Re- 
member to  wake  me  in  twenty  minutes.'  With  that  happy 
faculty  for  sleeping  when  he  made  up  his  mind  to,  he  was 
asleep  seemingly  as  soon  as  he  lay  down.  It  seemed  a 
pity  to  disturb  him,  and  we  let  him  sleep  about  an  hour 
and  a  half.  As  he  awoke  and  sat  up,  he  made  some  apt 
quotation  of  poetry,  and  one  thing  led  to  another,  and  for 
over  an  hour  he  talked  and  gave  extracts  from  various 
authors,  in  his  very  best  vein,  and  made  that  afternoon 
one  of  our  pleasant  memories.  His  hurry  was  forgotten, 
and  not  till  the  sun  was  just  dropping  into  the  prairie  did 
he  leave,  and  then  concluded  he  would  let  the  grist  go 
till  to-morrow,  and  make  the  best  of  his 'way  home." 

The  friends  of  temperance  in  Massachusetts  great- 
ly needed  Dr.  Jewett's  labors,  and  they  did  not 
allow  him  to  rest  longer.  In  1858,  the  Massachu- 
setts Temperance  Alliance  applied  for  his  services, 
and  repeated  the  application  with  emphatic  appeals, 
before  the  doctor  consented.  At  last,  however,  he 
gave  an  affirmative  answer,  arranged  with  his  son 
to  run  his  farm,  and  returned  to  his  old  battle- 
ground. 


3IO  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT. 


XV. 

DR.  JEWETT  IN  THE  REBELLION. 

ON  his  return  to  Massachusetts,  Dr.  Jewett  set- 
tled in  Maiden,  after  a  few  months'  residence 
among  his  old  neighbors  in  Millbury.  He  entered 
at  once  upon  his  temperance  work,  receiving  as 
hearty  a  welcome  as  was  ever  tendered  to  a  great 
and  good  man.  Public  attention  was  so  thoroughly 
engrossed  by  the  outrages  perpetrated,  in  different 
parts  of  the  country,  by  pro-slavery  enthusiasts,  that 
the  cause  of  temperance  was  pushed  aside.  The 
threateninfj  attitude  of  the  South  towards  the  national 
government,  also,  was  awakening  solicitude  through- 
out the  North,  making  temperance  labor  more  diffi- 
cult and  discouraging. 

The  old  plan  of  membership,  by  the  payment  of 
one  dollar  or  more  annually,  was  adopted  by  the 
Alliance,  and  several  agents  were  put  into  the  field. 
A  monthly  organ  of  the  society  was  published  under 
the  direction  of  Dr.  Jewett,  and  the  "  new  departure  " 
was  inaugurated  as  successfully  as  the  most  sanguine 
could  expect  in  such  times.  As  formerly,  the  doc- 
tor responded  to  the  demands  for  labor  wherever  re- 
quired, from  Cape  Cod  to  Berkshire. 


DR.  JEWETT  IN  THE  REBELLION.         311 

The  war-cloud  gathered,  however.  It  appeared 
no  larger  than  a  man's  hand  at  first,  but  it  rose  and 
spread  rapidly,  darkening  the  political  horizon,  and 
causing  unparalleled  anxiety  and  alarm.  The  peo- 
ple of  the  North  lost  their  interest  in  social  reforms, 
and  even  in  business,  and  widespread  depression 
followed  the  manifest  consternation.  Civil  war  was 
dreaded  as  the  direst  calamity,  and  yet  it  was  inev- 
itable. The  little  cloud  had  enveloped  the  whole 
heavens,  and  the  thunder  of  hostility  was  muttering 
from  afar. 

In  these  circumstances,  the  temperance  movement 
was  embarrassed,  and  the  hearts  of  its  stanchest  advo- 
cates failed  them.  It  was  quite  impossible  for  the 
best  friend  of  the  cause  to  maintain  a  deep  interest 
in  it,  Vv'hen  his  loyal  heart  was  bearing  about  such  a 
burden  for  the  imperilled  country  as  it  never  carried 
before.  The  work  was  crippled  ;  agents  were  lis- 
tened to  with  indifferent  attention,  and  the  society 
was  compelled  to  abandon  its  noble  plans,  and  wait 
for  more  propitious  times.  Dr.  Jewett  resigned  his 
position. 

The  doctor  had  returned  to  Massachusetts  with 
quite  a  debt  upon  him  for  the  purchase  and  stocking 
of  his  Minnesota  claim  and  those  of  his  two  sons. 
It  proved  far  more  expensive  to  stock  those  Western 
firms,  and  to  erect  dwellings  upon  them,  than  he 
had  anticipated ;  and  for  the  money  he  borrowed  a 
high  rate  of  interest  was  demanded,  so  that  a  heavy 
burden  was  upon  him.  Add  to  this,  long  and  pro- 
tracted sickness  in  his  family,  and  the  reader  will 


312  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

not  wonder  that  it  was  rather  a  gloomy  period  for 
the  doctor  when  the  outbreak  of  the  rebellion  forced 
him  from  his  position.  However,  he  was  not  long 
in  deciding  What  next?  With  the  clearness  of  a 
prophet,  he  saw  that  a  long  conflict  was  before  the 
country,  and  that  it  would  greatly  embarrass,  if  not 
entirely  hinder,  the  w^ork  of  reform  in  which  he  w^as 
engaged.  Casting  about  for  a  solution  of  the  difficult 
problem,  he  concluded  to  return  to  the  West,  where 
the  temperance  work  could  not  be  more  hindered 
than  in  the  East,  while  he  would  be  nearer  to  his 
farm,  if  compelled  to  withdraw  wholly  from  temper- 
ance labor,  and  return  to  agriculture. 

He  removed  to  Wisconsin,  May  i,  1861  (his  old- 
est son,  who  was  a  clerk  in  Boston,  remaining),  to 
labor  for  the  Wisconsin  Temperance  Society.  He 
selected  Menasha  for  his  residence,  because,  in  ad- 
dition to  tolerable  school  facilities,  two  of  his  sons 
could  work  in  a  pail-factory  in  that  thriving  village. 
More  sagacious  and  wise  than  many  others,  he  pre- 
pared for  the  worst. 

As  his  temperance  labor  was  fragmentary  during 
the  war,  it  will  occupy  but  a  small  place  in  this 
chapter.  The  chief  interest  of  himself  and  family 
was  in  the  overthrow  of  the  rebellion,  to  which  they 
contributed  more  largely,  as  will  be  seen,  than  most 
families  of  the  country. 

Dr.  Jewett  was  always  a  vigorous  foe  to  slavery. 
His  heart  was  with  the  early  anti-slavery  workers, 
though  his  labors  were  limited  to  the  cause  of  tem- 
perance.     All  the   anti-slaver}'  champions   of  that 


DR.  JEWETT  IN  THE  REBELLION.         313 

early  day  were  temperance  men  and  women,  though 
those  engaged  in  temperance  were  not  all  anti- 
slavery  advocates.  From  the  time  he  began  public 
life,  he  made  himself  known  as  a  foe  to  slavery. 
Aided  by  his  wife,  he  circulated  petitions  to  Con- 
gress for  the  abolition  of  slavery  in  the  District  of 
Columbia,  and  for  other  objects.  On  his  profes- 
sional routes  he  distributed  tracts  upon  the  sin  and 
curse  of  slavery,  and  by  conversation  converted  many 
persons  to  his  anti-slavery,  as  he  did  to  his  temper- 
ance, views.  From  the  time  that  the  matter  became 
a  subject  for  ballots  he  voted  against  slavery.  He 
believed  that  no  Christian  man  should  cast  a  bal- 
lot that  "  he  would  not  gladly  open  to  the  eye  of 
the  Master  before  carrying  it  to  the  polls;"  and  a 
ballot  that  meant  "  traffic  in  human  beings  "  he 
would  not  dare  to  show  to  Him. 

The  passage  of  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law  wrought 
upon  him  powerfully,  as  it  did  upon  other  true 
Christian  men.  He  stamped  it  under  his  feet,  and 
blushed  for  his  country's  shame.  The  rendition  of 
slaves  under  that  law  outraged  his  humane  feel- 
ings. Five  hundred  such  men  as  he  in  Boston,  on 
tire  with  opposition  to  the  wicked  business,  would 
have  prevented  the  rendition  of  Burns,  in  spite  of 
government  bayonets,  or  left  the  sacrifice  of  devoted 
lives  upon  the  altar  of  liberty.  He  became  at  once 
a  volunteer  station-agent  on  the  "  underground  rail- 
road," and  his  house  at  Millbury  was  known  to  flee- 
ing fugitives  as  a  safe  rendezvous.  He  fitted  up  a 
place  under  a  stairway  in  his  dwelling,  where  foot- 


314  LTFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

sore  travellers,  with  "skins  not  colored  like  his 
own,"  might  be  secreted.  Here  they  were  fed, 
comforted,  and  instructed  about  the  journey  towards 
the  north  star.  He  kept  an  anti-slavery  horse,  too 
(the  fa^'thful  beast  that  he  took  with  him  afterwards 
to  Illinois  and  Minnesota),  and  with  her  he  carried 
these  dusky  children  of  the  South  over  to  Worcester, 
to  take  an  early  train  for  their  Canadian  Canaan. 
He  enjoyed  that  blessed  service  full  as  much  as  he 
did  addressing  the  Hampden  County  rumsellers 
after  he  got  them  into  jail. 

His  children  remember  one  female  fugitive  slave, 
who  came  to  their  home  very  much  exhausted  by 
her  hurried  journey.  Her  feet  were  bare,  blistered, 
and  bleeding,  and  her  nervous  system  completely 
prostrated  b}'^  fear  and  over-exertion.  A  noise  in 
an  adjoining  room  or  in  the  street  would  cause  her 
to  start  as  if  she  thought  the  slave-hunter  was  at 
hand.  In  her  sleep  at  night  she  uttered  startling 
screams,  dreaming  that  her  pursuers  had  seized  her 
and  were  taking  her  back  to  bondage. 

Southern  "  barbarism  "  in  Congress,  the  outrages  of 
"border  ruffians"  in  Kansas,  the  multiplied  wrongs 
of  slavery  in  the  South,  the  truckling  schemes 
of  some  Northern  politicians,  and  kindred  evils, 
added  to  the  horrors  of  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law, 
called  forth  Dr.  Jewett's  bitterest  invective  against 
the  traffic  in  human  beings.  Friends  recall,  too, 
with  what  evident  pain  and  disgust  his  heart  turned 
away  from  these  things  as  he  recited,  in  his  inimi- 
table way,  from  Cow'per's  graphic  pen  : 


DR,  JEWETT  IN  THE  REBELLION.         315 

"  Oh,  for  a  lodge  in  some  vast  wilderness, 
Some  boundless  contiguity  of  shade, 
Where  rumor  of  oppression  and  deceit, 
Of  unsuccessful  or  successful  war, 
Might  never  reach  me  more  !     My  ear  is  pained. 
My  soul  is  sick,  with  every  day's  report 
Of  wrong  and  outrage  with  which  earth  is  filled. 
There  is  no  flesh  in  man's  obdurate  heart ; 
It  does  not  feel  for  man  ;  the  natural  \yv^ 
Of  brotherhood  is  severed  as  the  flax 
That  falls  asunder  at  the  touch  of  fire. 
He  finds  his  fellow  guilty  of  a  skin 
Not  colored  like  his  own  ;  and,  having  power 
To  enforce  the  wrong,  for  such  a  worthy  cause 
Dooms  and  devotes  him  as  his  lawful  prey. 
Lands  intersected  by  a  narrow  frith 
Abhor  each  other.     Mountains  interposed 
Make  enemies  of  nations,  who  had  else 
Like  kindred  drops  been  mingled  into  one. 
Thus  man  devotes  his  brother,  and  destroys  ; 
And  worse  than  all,  and  most  to  be  deplored, 
As  human  nature's  broadest,  foulest  blot, 
Chains  him,  and  tasks  him,  and  exacts  his  sweat 
With  stripes,  that  Mercy,  with  a  bleeding  heart, 
Weeps  when  she  sees  inflicted  on  a  beast." 

No  patriot  in  the  land  was  more  thoroughly 
aroused  by  the  first  gun  fired  upon  Fort  Sumter 
Ihan  Dr.  Jewett.  He  was  prepared  for  any  sacri- 
fice, as  the  sequel  will  prove,  to  save  his  country 
and  abolish  slavery.  "God  is  above  all,"  he  wrote, 
"  and  out  of  this  He  will  bring  about  His  purposes 
of  mercy,  I  doubt  not,  to  an  oppressed  race." 

Soon  after  the  doctor  removed  to  Wisconsin,  he 
received  a  letter  from  his  old  friend  John  B.  Gough, 
containing   i  draft  for  Jive  hundred  dollars,     "  We 


3i6  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT, 

had  scarcely  had  time,"  said  the  doctor,  "to  wipe  a 
few  stray  tears,  before  the  reception  of  another  let- 
ter was  announced,  containing  a  draft  iox  five  hun- 
dred  dollars  more,  from  L.  M.  Sargent,  author  of 
*  Temperance  Tales.'  "  This  unexpected  and  timely 
aid  was  a  great  relief  to  Dr.  Jewett.  It  was  proof, 
also,  of  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  tried  friends. 

From  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  his  son  John  de- 
sired to  enlist.  He  was  far  from  being  robust,  hav- 
ing a  physical  tendency  to  pulmonary  complaints ; 
and  his  father  thought  it  was  presumptuous  for  one 
so  frail  to  undertake  the  duties  of  soldier-life.  But 
in  Wisconsin  his  health  improved;  and  after  the 
lapse  of  a  few  months,  he  put  in  a  new  and  more 
earnest  plea.  On  the  Sabbath  evening  that  he 
united  with  the  church,  he  was  sitting  on  the 
piazza  with  his  mother  enjoying  the  view  of  Fox 
River  and  Winnebago  Lake.  The  evening  was 
very  beautiful,  and  the  scene  impressive. 

"  Mother,"  said  John,  "  have  you  any  objection  to 
my  going  into  the  army?  " 

The  question  was  unexpected,  and  for  a  moment 
his  mother's  feelings  were  indescribable.  At  length 
she  answered : 

"John,  you  are  a  child  of  God.  Your  Heavenly 
Father  loves  3^ou  better  than  your  father  and  mother, 
and  if  you  think  it  your  duty  to  go,  I  have  nothing 
to  say,  only  to  commit  you  to  his  care." 

She  added  words  about  his  health,  hardships  and 
exposures  of  army  life ;  to  which  he  replied  by  say- 
ing :  "  I  have  tested  my  endurance  lately  by  expo- 


VR.  JEWETT  IN  THE  REBELLION.  317 

sures.  I  have  purposely  been  wet  all  day  when 
fishing.  I  have  been  out  in  all  sorts  of  weather, 
and  I  am  better  now  than  ever.  I  can  go  better 
than  Charles  or  Richard ;  for  Charles  has  a  family, 
and  Richard  has  a  good  situation  in  Boston.  I  have 
no  excuse  for  staying  at  home ;  and  I  feel  mean  and 
dissatisfied  with  myself  to  remain  at  home  when  so 
-many  go  who  have  more  reason  to  stay  at  home.  I 
think  it  is  my  duty  to  go." 

Dr.  Jewett  was  laboiing  in  Iowa  at  the  time,  and 
only  three  or  four  days  remained  in  which  John 
must  decide,  if  he  would  join  the  Tenth  Wisconsin 
Regiment,  with  several  of  his  companions.  He  tel- 
egraphed to  his  father  for  permission  to  go.  His 
father,  after  telling  him  of  the  special  risk  on  ac- 
count of  the  condition  of  his  lungs,  closed  his  reply 
with  these  trustful  words  :  "  But  decide  for  yourself." 

He  enlisted,  and  joined  the  Tenth  Wisconsin  Reg- 
iment, November  25,  1861.*  A  few  months  after, 
Richard  enlisted  in  Boston,  and  joined  the  Sixth 
Massachusetts  Regiment,  from  which  he  was  trans- 
ferred for  meritorious  conduct  to  the  position  of  first 

*  John  was  passionately  fond  of  a  gun,  and  was  an  expert 
marksman.  In  Minnesota  he  used  a  rifle  with  which  to  shoot 
gophers  (a  little  ground-squirrel),  taking  off  their  heads  nearly 
every  time.  The  gopher  would  run  to  his  hole,  stop  at  the  en- 
trance, and  stand  up  on  his  hind  legs  to  look  at  his  pursuer,  and 
just  in  that  nick  of  time  John  would  cut  off  his  head  with  a  bullet. 
One  morning,  when  the  family  were  at  breakfast,  one  of  the 
younger  children  came  running  in,  saying,  ''A  big  hawk  is  sailing 
by  !  "  John  caught  his  rifle  and  ran  out,  and  before  his  father 
rose  from  the  table  the  dead  hawk  lay  at  his  feet. 


3i8  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

lieutenant  in  the  lamented  Colonel  Shaw's  colored 
regiment  —  the  Fifty-fourth  Massachusetts.  It  was 
gratifying  to  both  Richard  and  his  father,  that  he 
should  become  an  officer  in  the  first  colored  reg- 
iment raised  for  the  war. 

Dr.  Jewett's  eldest  son,  Charles,  in  Minnesota, 
w^as  one  of  the  first  to  oflTer  himself  when  the  First 
Minnesota  Regiment  was  raised.  So  many  young 
men,  without  families  or  farms,  offered  themselves, 
however,  that  the  authorities  advised  the  fathers  of 
families,  especially  those  who  were  running  farms, 
to  wait  until  their  services  were  absolutely  required. 
So  Charles  did  not  become  a  member  of  that  regi- 
ment ;  but  subsequently  he  did  become  a  member 
of  Colonel  Sibley's  regiment,  and  went  to  fight  the 
Sioux  Indians.  At  the  close  of  that  campaign  he 
returned  to  his  farm,  all  the  w^hile  uneasy  that  he 
was  not  a  soldier  of  the  loyal  army.  He  resolved 
to  hold  himself  in  readiness  to  take  the  place  of  one 
of  his  brothers,  if  either  should  fall  in  battle.  And 
he  did,  as  we  shall  see. 

After  having  lived  about  a  year  in  Menasha,  the 
doctor  was  invited  to  labor  for  the  State  Temperance 
Society  of  Illinois,  with  headquarters  at  Chicago. 
He  had  accepted  and  removed  thither  when  Richard 
enlisted  at  Boston.  He  became  so  thoroughly  ab- 
sorbed in  the  issues  of  the  war,  and  the  duty  of 
patriotic  citizens  to  support  the  government,  that 
he  almost  decided  to  offer  his  own  services  as 
surgeon.  He  wrote  to  his  wife,  who  was  then  in 
Chicago : 


DR.   JEWETT  IN  THE  REBELLION.         31^ 

'*  Neal  Dow,  I  see  by  the  papers,  is  authorized  by  the  War 
Depai  tment  to  raise  a  regiment  in  Maine  for  the  war.  Had 
I  best  offer  myself  for  a  place  in  the  medical  department? 
Write  immediately.  This  will  reach  you  to-morrow  morn- 
ing, and  may  be  you  can  get  your  reply  into  the  one  o'clock 
mail." 

He  would  not  decide  without  the  consent  of  his 
wife ;  but  he  was  in  great  haste  to  obtain  that,  so 
that  his  appHcation  might  be  on  its  way.  But  Dr. 
Hollister  and  other  physicians  interfered,  saying  it 
would  be  presumptuous  for  a  man  of  his  years,  and 
with  his  heart  troubles,  to  go  into  the  service.  Still, 
his  heart  was  there  all  the  while. 

Next  to  going  into  the  army  to  care  for  the  sick 
and  wounded  soldiers,  subsequently  he  showed  his 
interest  in  them  by  writing  and  publishing  "The 
Wounded  Soldier's  Friend,"  the  object  of  which 
was  to  show  this  class  how  to  assist  themselves  in 
the  absence  of  a  surgeon,  or  when  first  wounded, 
and  alleviate  their  own  sufferings.  The  little  tract 
of  sixteen  pages  contained  advice  relating  to  all  the 
usual  casualties  of  war,  illustrated  by  cuts,  so  as  to 
make  the  counsel  more  intelligible.  It  was  one  of 
the  most  valuable  pocket  companions  that  was  given 
to  soldiers  during  the  struggle.  The  style  in  which 
it  was  written  was  suited  to  engage  their  attention 
and  confidence.  He  naively  introduced  his  little 
treatise  thus : 

"  Your  principal  business  on  the  field  is,  of  course,  to 
make  wounds,  to  multiply  them  among  the  enemies  of 
your  country.     Keep  cool,  therefore,  in  action,  and  send 


320  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

your  leaden  despatches  with  as  much  care  as  though  the 
issue  of  the  battle  depended  upon  you  alone.  If  wounded 
in  battle,  make  it  a  matter  of  patriotic  principle,  never  to 
withdraw  a  fellow-soldier  from  the  lines  for  one  moment 
to  aid  you,  if  by  any  possibility  you  can  help  yourself;  for 
in  taking  even  one  man  from  the  ranks,  you  weaken  our 
force  just  so  much,  and  increase  your  own  risk  of  falling 
into  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  weak  and  wounded,  a  pris- 
oner of  w^ar." 

His  letters  to  his  wife  and  family  are  full  of  the 
war  —  more  war  than  temperance  in  them.  No  mat- 
ter what  subject  he  was  writing  about,  the  rebellion 
was  sure  to  be  mentioned  before  he  had  proceeded 
far.  A  few  extracts  from  his  letters  will  show  his 
animus  from  the  time  Fort  Sumter  was  assaulted. 

''We  fear  that  the  garrison  of  Sumter  will  be  forced 
to  surrender,  and  then  there  will  be  a  howl  of  delight  all 
through  the  region  of  traitors.  God  reigns,  however,  and 
it  will  be  for  the  best  in  the  end.  Our  last  news  was  that 
the  flag  of  Sumter  was  half-mast,  as  a  sign  of  distress  to 
the  fleet  outside  ;  and  it  was  thought  that  the  fort  was  on 
fire  within.     We  shall  wait  the  issue  with  impatience." 

"  I  presume  that  John  has  gone.  He  is  in  the  hands  of 
God,  though  God  does  not  often  work  miracles  to  save  us 
from  the  result  of  our  decisions,  if  they  be  unwise.  John 
is  a  good  fellow,  but  restless  and  full  of  the  spirit  of  ad- 
venture. He  will  make  a  good  soldier.  He  will  die 
sober,  if  he  dies.  I  fear  for  his  health,  for  reasons  stated 
in  my  letter.  .  .  .  The  Lord  be  with  you  and  the  family. 
I  am  glad  that  John  united  with  the  church  before  he 
went,   and  I  hope  he,   as  well  as   ihe  others  who  have 


DR.  JEWETT  IN  THE  REBELLION.  321 

taken  upon  themselves  the  vows  of  the  Christian,  will  walk 
worthy  of  their  profession." 

"  It  helps  digestion  to  see  things  working  so  well  just 
now  in  connection  with  the  war  movements.  They  will 
have  some  hard  fighting  in  Kentucky  soon.  Will  our 
John  be  where  the  bullets  are  whistling?  Pray,  dear  wife, 
—  God  will  hear  you  always  with  favor,  I  think,  —  pray. 
I  will  pray,  too.  Tell  the  children  to  remember  John  in 
prayer  now  especiall}^''' 

"  The  roar  of  cannon  and  the  peal  of  bells  are  now 
heard  throughout  the  West  over  the  fall  of  Fort  Donald- 
son. How  many  homes  have  been  desolated  by  that  san- 
guinary struggle  !  But  there  was  no  help  for  it.  It  was 
the  key  to  the  very  centre  of  secession.  The  Tennessee 
and  Cumberland  rivers  open  to  the  head  of  navigation 
and  traversed  daily  by  our  gunboats,  almost  impregnable 
to  any  shot  they  could  send  from  any  temporary  battery 
on  shore,  and  the  condition  of  Secessia  will  be  very  un- 
comfortable. Our  boys  missed  the  chance  of  a  fight  at 
Bowling  Green,  as  Secessia  took  to  its  heels.  ...  If  I 
knew  there  was  a  real  need  of  surgical  aid  at  Cairo,  I 
would  jump  into  the  cars  and  go  down  as  soon  as  through 
my  present  appointments." 

"  Oh,  how  I  wish  this  dreadful  war  was  over  and  our 
dear  sons  safe  at  home !  How  uncertain  is  all  the 
future  !  " 

"  It  is  a  great  grief  to  me  that  I  must  bid  you  prepare 
for  the  worst  so  far  as  our  son  John  may  be  concerned. 
You  must  look  over  the  list  of  the  killed  and  wounded, 
when  it  comes,  with  a  mother's  hopes,  but  also  with  a 
mother's  fears.  The  last  battle,  at  Murfreesboro',  w^as  ter- 
rible beyond  compare.  God  grant  that  our  dear  boy  may 
not  be  among  the  buried  ones.  Time  will  reveal.  Mean- 
21 


322  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

while,   be   strong  of   heart    and    prepare  for   the   worst. 
Pray  ! " 

"  There  are  in  Duel's  division  at  Nashville  seventy  thou- 
sand troops.  Mitchell  is  general  of  that  division  which 
John  is  in.  Look  out  for  Duel's  division,  or  Mitchell's 
portion  of  it.  The  troops  are  as  yet  tolerably  health}'. 
May  they  continue  to  be !  We  shall  have  stirring  news 
from  that  quarter  soon.  God  grant  that  it  may  not  be  to 
us  heart-rending." 

"  Secesh  has  to  move  rapidly  down  the  Mississippi  with 
GUI  Foote  at  his  rear." 

From  a  letter  to  John  we  extract  the  following : 

"  I  see  by  the  papers  that  a  forward  movement  is  soon 
expected  of  the  force  with  which  you  are  connected,  and 
I  will  steal  a  moment  from  pressing  duties  to  let  you  know 
that  you  are  the  object  still  of  strong  parental  love  and 
of  daily  prayer ;  and  that  we  are  in  constant  anxiety  lest 
some  of  those  casualties  incident  to  war  may  fall  to  your 
lot,  though  we  hope  not. 

"  Take  good  care  of  your  health  as  far  as  possible. 
You  will  stand  a  great  deal  better  chance  to  have  health 
than  those  who  have  no  control  over  their  appetite.  In 
hot  weather  we  need  less  food  than  in  cold.  Lean  meats 
and  bread,  with  fruits,  milk,  and  eggs,  when  you  can  get 
them,  will  always  be  good.  Keep  as  much  as  you  can 
out  of  the  damp  evening  air.  Keep  the  skin  clean,  drink 
the  best  water  you  can  get,  and  trust  in  God.  Should  God 
in  his  mercy  allow  you  to  return  to  us  safe  and  sound,  wc 
will  rejoice  together  and  thank  Him  for  it,  and  try  to 
show  our  thankfulness  by  the  obedience  of  our  lives.  Try 
to  exert  a  good  and  saving  influence  on  those  around  you 
who  ma}'-  not  have  been  so  highly  favored  with  Christian 


DR.   JEWETT  IN  THE   REBELLIOiW         323 

parents,  brothers  and  sisters,  as  you  have  been.  .  .  .  God 
piotect  and  guide  you,  my  son,  and  return  you  to  youi 
friends  laden  with  rich  experience  of  his  mercy." 

"  I  hope  the  war  will  soon  come  to  an  end.  Things 
are  looking  like  it  now,  though  I  think  we  shall  have  one 
terrible  battle  with  Lee's  army  when  Sherman  moves  up 
so  as  to  co-operate  with  Grant.  Grant  will  try  to  avoid 
it  by  closing  communications  to  Richmond,  and  seeking 
thus  to  brinof  Lee  to  surrender  without  a  fight.  If  Lee 
evacuates  Richmond,  moves  further  south,  Grant  will 
follow  him  and  Sherman  will  be  on  his  skirts.  Sheridan 
will  come  down  from  the  Valley  and  join  the  chase,  while 
Thomas  will  come  in  from  the  West.  Whether  our  dear 
boys  will  have  to  share  the  perils  of  other  battles  before 
the  war  ends,  we  cannot  know." 

These  extracts  show  that  Dr.  Jewett  kept  posted 
thoroughly  upon  the  movements  of  the  arm}^  exhib- 
iting considerable  knowledge  of  military  tactics. 
There  is  before  us  one  letter,  however,  penned  at 
Chicago,  at  the  time  Massachusetts  soldiers  were 
fired  upon  in  the  streets  of  Baltimore,  which  shows 
that  the  doctor  comprehended  the  situation  like  a 
general  who  was  commissioned  for  the  war.  A 
liberal  extract  will  show  its  animus  : 

"  The  city  is  in  a  blaze  of  excitement  in  consequence 
of  the  news  from  the  collision  in  Baltimore.  Illinois  will 
soon  have  her  full  quota  in  the  field.  The  earnest  work 
will  be  on  the  line  of  the  Border  States.  Both  armies 
are  working  towards  that  line.  The  Gulf  States  would 
rather  have  the  battle  on  the  Border  States  than  on  ter- 
ritory where  the  black  population  doubles  the  white.  The 
shock  will  be  terrible,  and  thousands  will  bite  the  dust ; 


324  ^^-^^  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

but  I  can  see  that  the  hand  of  God  is  in  the  whole  matter. 
It  was  fortunate  that  the  rebels  struck  the  first  blow,  and 
that  the  old  flag  was  struck  by  rebels.  It  has  stirred  the 
patriotic  pride  of  thousands,  as  it  would  not  have  been 
stirred  had  Sumter  been  successfully  defended.  Then  it 
is  well  because  it  brings  the  struggle  at  once  in  reference 
to  the  capital,  the  defence  of  which  is  more  difficult  and 
yet  more  important  than  any  other  single  point.  It  needs 
now  only  an  attempt  of  the  rebels  to  seize  the  capital, — 
one  conflict  there,  to  thoroughly  arouse  the  whole  North 
and  call  forth  all  its  energies.  If  it  be  successfully  de- 
fended, the  result  will  be  glorious,  and  will  strike  a  hard 
blow  on  treason  all  over  the  country.  If  they  are  suc- 
cessful for  the  time  in  getting  possession  of  it,  they  will 
be  driven  from  the  ground  if  it  cost  fifty  thousand  lives, 
and  will  be  followed  by  a  war  in  which  the  watchword 
will  be,  Liberty  to  the  captive  through  the  entire  Soutli, 
and  death  to  Slavery  on  this  continent.  Thousands  who 
are  now  enlisting  under  the  excitement  of  the  hour  have 
no  sympathy  for  the  slave ;  and  yet,  in  the  wonderful 
providence  of  God,  they  are  going  to  fight  for  him  and 
his  liberation  from  bondage.  Thousands,  who  have  been 
all  their  lives  execrating  the  negro  whenever  he  was  named 
in  their  hearing,  are  now  going  to  risk  their  lives  in  a 
conflict  where  the  principle  contended  for  is  at  the  bot- 
tom of  slavery  or  freedom.  Three  fourths  who  are  going 
South  by  present  enlistment  from  the  West,  who  did  not, 
before  the  struggle  opened,  belong  to  some  military 
company,  are  of  that  stamp.  How  wonderful  are  God's 
ways  1 " 

The  doctor  wrote  the  foregoing  letter  when  he 
was  on  a  flying  visit  to  the  West,  to  make  prepara- 
tions for  the  removal  of  his  family  thither.     While 


DR.  JEWETT  IN  THE  REBELLION,         325 

he  was  in  Chicago,  he  was  invited  to  address  a  Tri- 
ennial Convention  of  Ministers,  upon  the  "  state  of 
the  country."  Othei  speakers  were  to  participate, 
among  them  the  celebrated  Dr.  Post,  of  St.  Louis. 
Dr.  Jewett's  address  was  the  favorite  one  of  the 
evening  to  the  large  assembly.  In  pathos,  logic, 
eloquence,  and  power,  the  doctor  never  surpassed 
that  effort,  perhaps.  He  was  called  to  address  sol- 
diers there,  also,  as  one  remarkably  adapted  to  such 
work.  Often  thereafter,  during  the  war,  he  was 
called  upon  here  and  there,  to  address  soldiers  mar- 
shalling for  the  war. 

But  to  return  to  Dr.  Jewett's  engagement  in  Illi- 
nois. The  friends  of  temperance  purposed  to  employ 
him  three  years,  expecting  to  raise  the  money  for  his 
support  in  five-dollar  subscriptions.  But  the  war 
continued  longer,  and  made  heavier  drafts  of  men 
and  money  than  was  anticipated,  at  the  same  time 
absorbing  public  interest  to  such  a  degree  as  to 
greatly  embarrass  the  temperance  cause.  And  yet 
Dr.  Jewett  continued  his  work  two  years  in  IlHiiois. 
No  other  lecturer  could  have  commanded  the  atten- 
tion of  the  public  at  all  during  that  period  of  unpre- 
cedented excitement.  His  great  ability  and  univer- 
sal popularity  secured  a  hearing  for  him  when  other 
men  would  have  been  ignored. 

In  Chicago  his  children  enjoyed  excellent  school 
advantages.  Three  of  them  were  connected  with 
the  High  School,  where  they  took  three  of  the  five 
prizes  offered.     A  cit'zen  remarked  that  "  if  there 


326  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

had  been  five  Jewett  children  in  the  school,  all  the 
prizes  would  have  been  taken  by  them." 

At  times,  during  Dr.  Jewett's  philanthropic  life- 
work,  it  seemed  as  if  Providence  directly  guided  him 
to  certain  apparently  lost  men,  to  save  them.  There 
was  such  a  case  in  Chicago.  A  teamster,  by  the 
name  of  Davis,  was  a  notorious  drunkard.  Nobody 
expected  or  thought  that  he  could  be  reformed.  Dr. 
Jewett's  attention  was  directed  to  him,  and  he  studied 
his  case.  He  became  acquainted  and  talked  with 
him.  He  was  sure  that  man  could  be  saved.  He 
resolved  in  his  own  heart  that  he  should  be.  He  be- 
friended him,  took  him  to  his  house,  instructed  him, 
offered  him  a  home,  and  finally  won  his  confidence. 
The  teamster  occupied  a  poor  tenement  in  the  sub- 
urbs of  the  city,  and  in  his  yard  were  currants.  He 
told  the  doctor  that  he  might  have  the  currants  if  he 
would  send  his  boys  to  pick  them.  Afterwards, 
when  the  boys  went  to  his  house  on  an  errand, 
they  found  Davis  hanging  to  a  rope.  The  sequel 
proved  that  he  had  been  on  a  spree,  was  so 
ugly  that  his  wife  left  the  house  with  her  children, 
in  great  fear ;  and  finally,  becoming  sober,  he  had 
attempted  suicide  by  hanging  himself.  The  rope 
proved  to  be  too  long,  so  that  he  was  not  dead, 
though  he  was  insensible.  The  boys  gave  the 
alarm,  Davis  was  cut  down  and  restored  to  life. 
Dr.  Jewett  lost  no  time  in  going  to  him,  took  him  to 
his  house,  induced  him  to  sign  the  pledge,  and  held 
to  him  until  he  became  a  Christian.  The  doctor 
had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  his  family  reunited,  all 


DR.  JEIVETT  IN  THE  REBELLION.  327 

happy  beyond  expression,  and  all  bowing  around 
the  altar  of  prayer. 

In  one  thriving  town  a  committee  waited  upon 
him  for  further  labor,  and  of  one  of  them  he  wrote 
to  Mrs.  Jewett  thus  : 

"  One  of  the  men  most  deeply  interested  in  my  coming 
here  was  clerk  for  John  F.  Pond,  of  Providence,  R.  L, 
with  whom  I  had  so  many  encounters  years  ago.  How 
strangely  things  come  round.  Twenty-five  years  have 
passed,  and  the  man  who  was  then  the  severest  of  my 
bitter  opponents,  is  now  paying  his  money  to  reward  me 
for  teaching  the  same  doctrines  that  I  then  taught." 

During  the  last  year  of  the  doctor's  stay  in  Chi- 
cago, his  youngest  daughter  had  a  severe  and  dan- 
gerous illness.  His  eldest  daughter  was  in  the  East, 
and  his  son  Frank  was  fitting  for  college  in  Phila- 
delphia. It  seemed  absolutely^  necessary  that  he 
should  devote  his  attention  wholly  to  his  suffering 
daughter,  who,  he  feared,  was  having  her  last  sick- 
ness. He  countermanded  all  his  eng-an-ements,  and 
became  at  once  the  sole  nurse  and  plwsician  in  that 
sick-room.  Week  after  week  he  devoted  himself  to 
her  with  unremitting  and  loving  care,  and  finally^ 
had  the  inexpressible  joy  of  seeing  her  convales- 
cent. Then,  still  sitting  by  her  bedside,  watching 
with  tender  solicitude,  with  pen  in  hand,  he  pre- 
pared that  pamphlet,  "  The  Temperance  Caitse^ 
Past.,  Present.,  and  Future  ;  or.,  Why  we  are  Where 
we  are ;''  in  which  he  presented,  in  a  clear  and  able 
manner,  his  plea  for  a  financial  basis  for  the  tern- 


328  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT. 

perance  reform.  The  document  has  had  a  wide 
circulation  throughout  the  Northern  states. 

When  Richard  was  transferred  to  Colonel  Shaw's 
colored  regiment,  he  made  a  flying  visit  to  Chicago, 
where  he  met  his  affianced  at  his  father's,  and  was 
married.  His  wife  remained  with  the  family  until 
the  close  of  the  war.  The  family  of  Charles  also 
came  from  Minnesota,  where  he  had  enlisted,  and 
continued  with  Dr.  Jewett's  family  until  their  reunion 
in  Minnesota,  at  the  close  of  hostilities.  The  doc- 
tor believed  that  his  soldier-sons  would  feel  more  at 
ease  if  their  families  constituted  a  part  of  his  own 
household.  And  no  man  could  have  enjoyed  the 
arrangement  more  thoroughly  than  Dr.  Jewett  did. 

The  press  of  Illinois  paid  noble  tribute  to  Dr. 
Jewett's  temperance  labors  in  that  state.  The  clergy 
of  the  commonwealth  placed  him  at  the  head  of  the 
list  of  temperance  advocates.  At  the  close  of  his 
first  year's  service,  the  Christian  Association  of 
Chicago  sent  out  a  circular  to  the  clergy  and  lead- 
ing temperance  men,  and  we  doubt  if  ever  there  was 
so  unqualified  admiration  of  a  temperance  advo- 
cate expressed  on  paper.  We  have  many  of  the 
responses,  and  the  following  is  a  fair  sample  of 
them  all : 

"I  have  consulted  with  several  of  the  friends  of  temper- 
ance, and  all  agree  with  me  in  the  opinion  that  Dr.  Jew^ett 
is  the  best  temperance  lecturer  who  has  ever  visited  our 
place.  The  good  he  accomplished  b}-  his  visit  cannot  be 
estimated  hy  dollars  and  cents,  and  I  should  esteem  it  an 
irreparable  loss  to  the  cause  in  our  state  were  his  labors  to 


DR.   JEWETT  IN  THE  REBELLION.         329 

cease,  and  most  sincerely  hope  that  arrangements  will  be 
made  to  continue  him  in  the  field." 

To  return  to  the  doctor  in  the  rebellion.  What 
sort  of  material  did  he  furnish  for  the  defence  of  his 
country  in  his  sons  ?  We  should  be  most  happy  to 
quote  entire  letters  of  theirs  from  the  manuscripts 
before  us,  to  show  the  intelligence,  patriotism,  affec- 
tion, manly  bearing,  and  religious  principle  that 
pervades  them.  But  a  single  brief  extract  from  the 
letters  of  each  is  all  the  space  that  can  be  given  to 
them. 

John  wrote  : 

"  I  read  a  chapter  in  my  Bible  every  day.  Here  in 
camp  one  has  to  watch  and  pray,  for  there  are  temptations 
on  every  side.  Nothing  but  prayer  and  watchfulness  can 
keep  the  Christian.  Several  of  the  boys  in  our  tent,  some 
of  them  Good  Templars  too,  drank  wine  on  the  first  night 
of  our  march.  I  am  persuaded  that  a  man  may  join  all 
the  temperance  societies  in  the  world,  and  if  he  has  no 
principle,  he  will  drink.  ...  I  knew  that  my  first  battle 
was  at  hand,  and  I  cannot  express  my  feelings  at  that  mo- 
ment. I  silently  prayed  that  the  Lord  would  shield  and 
protect  me,  and  I  never  before  experienced  so  fully  the 
joy  of  reliance  on  Divine  Power.  I  became  utterly  uncon- 
scious in  respect  to  what  might  befall  me,  and  yet  I  was 
aware  of  all  the  dangers  we  should  encounter.  I  was 
prepared  to  fight,  and  my  musket  felt  lighter." 

Richard  wrote : 

"  There  is  little  but  self-interest  and  self-comfort  among 
a  majority  of  soldiers.  They  only  see  the  present  hour, 
and  never  ask  what  would  be   their   condition   if  the  re- 


330  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

bellion  is  not  crushed  out  completely.  I  hope  and  pray 
that  the  Lord  will  not  much  longer  leave  this  work  of 
emancipation  to  politicians,  but  will  take  into  his  own 
hands  the  righting  of  the  wrongs  of  the  oppressed  ones. 
It  may  be  that  our  government  will  go  down  in  the  strife  ; 
but  I  have  the  confident  belief  that  such  will  not  be  the 
case.  It  is  a  glorious  privilege  to  have  the  Christian's 
hope  and  promise  that  '  all  things  shall  work  together 
for  good  to  them  that  love  God  !'  I  find  that  as  faith  in 
men  and  human  governments  is  shaken,  it  but  drives  me 
to  the  Throne  that  is  eternal. 

"  When  I  think  of  the  sons  you  have  in  the  army,  I  feel 
that  you  must  have  especial  calls  upon  your  attention ; 
but  I  do  not  suppose  that  you  expect  one  of  them  to  be 
cowardly,  or  to  prefer  his  own  good  to  that  of  the  coun- 
try. ...  I  know  that  you  will  pray  for  me,  that  I  may 
be  kept  from  the  temptations  of  camp-life,  and  be  enabled 
to  do  my  duty  as  a  soldier  in  both  armies  —  that  of  the 
country  and  that  of  the  Lord." 

Charles  v/rote : 

"  I  am  very  thankful  to  God  for  all  his  mercies  to  us 
as  a  family.  I  am  much  obliged  to  mother  for  her  letters 
and  good  wishes,  and  am  comforted  and  strengthened  in 
knowing  that  many  prayers  daily  ascend  for  my  protection 
and  safety.  I  trust  that  the  Lord  will  permit  us  to  meet 
an  unbroken  family,  after  I  have  fulfilled  all  his  will  in 
the  service  of  my  country." 

It  was  such  material  as  this  that  made  our  loyal 
army,  with  all  its  faults,  the  grandest  army  of  the 
world.  But  for  this  leaven  of  personal  piety,  the 
temptations  and  vices  of  the  camp  and  field  must 
have  jeopardized  our  cause  and  dishonored  our  flag 


DR.  JEWETT  IN  THE  REBELLION.         331 

far  more  than  they  did.  It  was  a  source  of  pride 
and  satisfaction  to  Dr.  Jevvett,  as  long  as  he  lived, 
that  his  name  was  so  honorably  identified  with  the 
late  struggle  for  national  existence  through  three  so 
noble  sons. 

John  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  on 
the  19th  of  September,  1863.  A  Menasha  compan- 
ion was  near  him  when  he  was  wounded.  A  bullet 
penetrated  his  lungs  when  he  was  lying  on  his  face 
firing  at  the  foe.  Putting  his  hand  up  to  his  mouth, 
and  finding  blood  flowing  therefrom,  he  remarked, 
*'  I  am  mortally  wounded.  Send  my  things  to  moth- 
er." (By  arrangement  with  his  mother,  before  leav- 
ing home,  each  read  the  same  chapter  in  the  Bible 
daily.)  Then  he  crawled  away  into  a  wooded  place, 
turned  himself  upon  his  back,  clasped  his  hands 
across  his  breast,  and  passed  to  his  eternal  reward. 

Said  a  member  of  the  company : 

*'  Well,  John  Jevvett  was  the  best  fellow  in  the  whole 
company.  I  don't  beheve  there  was  a  day,  daring  the 
whole  time  he  was  in  the  army,  that  he  did  not  read  his 
Bible  and  pray.  We  could  never  persuade  him  to  join  us 
in  any  of  our  scrapes,  nor  to  drink  a  drop,  nor  even  so 
much  as  to  smoke  or  chew." 

At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  a  non-commis- 
sioned officer  in  his  regiment,  but  had  been  commis- 
sioned a  second  lieutenant  in  the  Fifty-fourth  Mas- 
sachusetts (colored),  in  which  his  brother  Richard 
was  an  officer.  The  commission  was  on  its  way  to 
him  when  he  fell,  but  did  not  reach  him  until  the 


332  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT. 

All-wise  Master  had  transferred  him  to  "the  general 
assembly  and  church  of  the  First-born  in  heaven." 

Among  Dr.  Jewett's  papers  has  been  found  a 
poem  that  he  wrote  upon  John's  death.  It  is  entitled 
"The  Christian  Soldier's  Death."  On  the  back  of 
the  slip  is  written,  in  his  own  handwriting,  the  fol- 
lowing paragraph,  forwarded  to  him  by  one  of 
John's  comrades :  "  He  looked  as  if  some  one  had 
laid  him  out,  —  his  eyes  closed,  and  his  hands 
clasped  upon  his  breast.  There  was  no  expression 
of  pain  upon  the  countenance.  He  looked  like  one 
who  lay  asleep."  The  first  and  last  verses  of  the 
poem  are  as  follows  : 

"  The  fatal  ball  had  pierced  his  breast ; 
His  life  was  ebbing  fast ; 
One  more  grim  foe  to  meet!  and  then 
Life's  conflict  will  be  past. 

*'No  sign  of  pain  those  features  show; 
Hands  folded  on  his  breast ; 
By  FAITH  he  slew  his  last  dread  foe, 
And  won  a  peaceful  rest." 

Richard  was  wounded  twice.  First,  in  the  assault 
upon  Fort  Wagner  a  ball  struck  his  sword  when 
it  was  raised  in  the  excitement  of  battle,  the  force  of 
the  ball  bending  the  sword  so  that  it  was  useless 
thereafter,  at  the  same  time  driving  it  against  his 
head  with  such  violence  as  to  inflict  quite  a  severe 
wound.  But  for  the  intervention  of  the  sword  the 
ball  must  have  passed  through  his  head,  and  killed 
him  instantly.     Second,  he  was  seriously  wounded 


DR,  JEWETT  IN  THE  REBELLION,  333 

in  the  battle  of  Olustee,  Florida.  He  was  captain 
of  Company  E,  and  was  leading  on  his  men  in  one 
of  the  most  sanguinary  conflicts  of  the  war,  when  a 
ball  struck  the  lower  jaw  on  the  left  side,  passed 
along  under  his  ear,  and  was  extracted  from  the 
neck.  Although  this  was  a  serious  wound.  Cap- 
tain Jewett  was  back  again  to  his  post  within  a  few 
weeks.  In  these  and  other  battles  other  rebel  bullets 
flew  very  near  him.  At  one  time  he  sent  to  his 
young  wife  his  blouse  with  a  bullet-hole  over  the  left 
shoulder,  his  cap  with  two  holes  through  it,  one  of 
the  missiles  grazing  his  scalp ;  also  a  fragment  of 
one  of  General  Beauregard's  shells,  that  exploded 
near  him,  to  be  made  into  a  card-basket  for  his 
centre-table. 

A  correspondent  of  the  New  York  Tribune,  who 
was  at  the  battle  of  Olustee,  wrote  : 

"  The  Fifty-fourth  Massachusetts,  which,  with  the  First 
North  Carolina,  may  be  truly  said  to  have  saved  the  forces 
from  utter  rotct,  lost  about  eighty  men  wounded  and 
twelve  killed.  The  only  officers  hurt  were  Captain  Jewett, 
Company  E,  wounded  in  neck ;  First  Lieutenant  Henry 
W.  Littlefield,  Company  H,  wounded  in  right  hand  ;  and 
First  Lieutenant  E.  G.  Tomlinson,  Company  C,  wounded 
in  foot." 

Richard  entered  the  service  an  entire  stranger; 
was  selected  by  Colonel  Shaw  for  his  fitness  to  take 
a  command  in  his  regiment;  was  promoted  to  a 
captaincy ;  for  many  months  was  on  staff  duty, 
most  of  the  time  acting  assistant  adjutant-general; 
then  ordnance  officei  for  the  division. 


334  L^^^   O^  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

As  soon  as  Charles  learned  of  John's  death,  he 
made  preparations  to  leave  for  the  war.  Know- 
ing that  he  stood  in  readiness  to  take  his  brother's 
place,  the  War  Department  offered  him  the  commis- 
sion that  was  sent  to  John.  He  accepted  it  and  went 
immediately  to  General  Casey's  Military  School  in 
Philadelphia  to  qualify  himself  for  the  position.  He 
passed  examination  and  reached  his  regiment  just  in 
season  to  take  his  wounded  brother  Richard  to  the 
North.  His  record  in  the  army  was  worthy  of  his 
parentage.  He  was  never  wounded ;  but  he  came 
out  of  the  army  at  the  close  of  the  war,  physically 
disabled  to  cultivate  his  farm  in  Minnesota,  or  even 
to  live  in  that  climate,  and  at  great  sacrifice  was 
compelled  to  seek  a  warmer  locality  in  the  South. 

There  was  a  time  when  Dr.  Jewett  had  great 
anxiety  for  a  class  of  very  useful  public  men  in  Illi- 
nois. He  was  satisfied  that  armed  disloyal  men, 
secretly  moving  about  among  the  people,  would  not 
scruple  to  assassinate  them.  The  efiicient  war  gov- 
ernor of  Illinois,  Richard  Yates,  was  one  of  them. 
From  a  letter  of  Governor  Yates  to  Dr.  Jewett,  w^e 
learn  that  the  latter,  in  his  anxiety,  had  written  to 
him  on  the  subject.  The  governor's  reply  shows 
that  Dr.  Jewett  comprehended  the  situation  exactly  : 

"  Your  letter  concerning  danger  to  be  apprehended  from 
disloyal  men  who  are  armed,  &c.,  &c.,  is  received.  I  have 
been  fully  advised  for  many  months  of  the  truth  of  which 
you  speak,  and  have  made  every  effort  in  my  power  to 
prepare  the  government  for  emergencies,  but  so  far  have 
not  succeeded. 


DR.  JEWETT  IN  THE  REBELLION.         335 

"We  have  no  sufficient  militia  law,  and  no  arms.  The 
arms  which  I  received  for  state  defence  have  been  trans- 
ferred to  the  one  hundred  days'  regiments.  When  they 
return,  the  state  will  be  in  condition  of  defence,  with  both 
men  and  arms. 

'*  The  department  at  Washington  has  under  considera- 
tion plans  which  I  have  submitted  for  state  defence,  and 
I  hope  will  act  upon  them  soon.  For  the  present,  we  are 
indeed  in  a  bad  condition,  and  have  been  for  a  long  time, 
without  any  fault  of  mine." 

Dr.  Jewett  was  in  Norwich,  Connecticut,  working 
for  the  Connecticut  Temperance  Union,  when  the 
rebel  army  surrendered,  making  preparations  for 
the  removal  of  his  family  thither.  On  the  mem- 
orable April  10,  1865,  he  wrote  to  Mrs.  Jewett: 

''Oh,  that  you  could  have  heard  the  stemn  whistles  of 
this  city  about  an  hour  since.  There  are  many  5^team- 
engines  in  the  city,  locomotives  on  the  railroad,  steamboats, 
and  manufacturing  establishments  operated  with  steam- 
power,  and  all  their  throats  were  wide  open  at  just  twelve 
o'clock,  and  were  open  for  about  half  an  hour.  Such 
music  !  It  was  followed  by  the  ringing  of  bells  ;  and  now 
the  cannon  are  pealing  from  the  heights  around  the  city. 
Lee's  great  army  has  surrendered.  The  end  is  now  near 
at  hand  ;  but,  alas !  no  clanging  bells  or  booming  cannon 
can  awake  from  his  sleep  our  dear,  dear  John.  Blessed, 
dear  boy !  Is  he  conscious  of  the  triumph  which  his 
toils  and  his  blood  helped  to  purchase?  These  question- 
ings have  arisen,  I  am  sure,  in  your  own  mind.  We  can- 
not  know  now,  but  shall  know  hereafter." 

Dr.  Jewett  resided  two  years  in  Chicago ;  then 
removed  to  Evanston,  a  few  miles  from  the  city,  that 


336  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

his  invalid  daughter  might  enjoy  the  country  air, 
and  his  expenses  be  lightened.  The  family  were 
there  when  peace  was  declared;  but  he  removed 
them  to  Norwich  immediately,  where  he  welcomed 
his  surviving  soldier-sons  home  from  the  war. 


GUERRILLA    WARFARE.  337 


XVI. 

GUERRILLA  WARFARE. 

DR.  JEWETT'S  temperance  work,  after  the 
civil  war,  was  fragmentary,  chiefly  in  conse- 
quence of  the  heart-disease,  which  slowly  but  surely 
advanced.  He  could  not  endure  continuous  labors 
as  formerly.  Frequent  and  long  periods  of  rest  be- 
came a  necessity.  Then,  too,  the  unsettled  state  of 
the  country,  together  with  the  heavy  drafts  made 
upon  all  classes  by  the  war,  made  it  still  difficult  to 
raise  money  to  support  the  temperance  work.  For 
this  reason  his  labors  were  in  places  widely  separated, 
from  the  British  Provinces  to  Minnesota.  He  called 
it  "Guerrilla  Warfare." 

At  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  laboring  for  the 
Connecticut  Temperance  Union,  with  headquar- 
ters at  Norwich.  There  his  family  were  reunited, 
and  his  eldest  daughter  soon  married  to  Professor 
A.  T.  Smith,  son  of  President  Smith,  of  Naperville 
College,  Illinois.  The  doctor  was  happy  again  in 
his  family,  but  not  in  his  work.  It  was  difficult  to 
raise  funds  for  the  cause  he  loved.  He  worked 
against  wind  and  tide.  The  public  appeared  to  be 
apathetic,  and  the  doctor  lacked  that  hearty,  gener- 
22 


338  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

ous  support  that  he  felt  must  be  accorded  to  him  in 
order  to  be  successful.  He  resigned,  and  resolved 
to  return  to  Minnesota.  His  eldest  son  had  already 
returned  to  his  home  there;  Richard,  also,  had 
gone  thither  to  settle,  instead  of  returning  to  Boston  ; 
Frank  had  entered  Yale  College ;  Parker  was  liv- 
ing in  Providence,  Rhode  Island ;  and  the  married 
daughter  had  taken  up  her  residence  in  Iowa.  His 
wife  and  youngest  daughter  only  were  with  him. 
At  the  same  time  he  received  an  urgent  invitation  to 
labor  for  a  season  in  Kansas.  That  would  be  near 
his  farm  and  friends. 

During  this  period  of  his  residence  in  Norwich, 
his  inventive  genius  struck  out  anew.  A  friend 
says  that  "  he  was  ever  studying  to  lighten  labor, 
and  make  it  more  pleasant  and  attractive."  The 
instance  before  us  is,  perhaps,  an  illustration  of  that 
propensity.  He  had  previously  manufactured  a 
"  Fruit  Drier,"  consisting  of  a  frame  four  feet  long, 
perhaps,  and  half  as  wide,  the  bottom  being  of 
basket-work,  that  the  air  might  circulate  through  the 
fruit.  The  basket-work  was  braided  by  hand,  and 
he  conceived  the  idea  of  a  machine  to  weave  it, 
thereby  greatly  faciUtating  the  manufacture.  He 
succeeded  in  constructing  such  a  machine  that  did 
the  weaving  admirably ;  and  he  then  applied  for  a 
patent  on  the  "  Drier."  He  failed  to  secure  the  pa- 
tent, because  "  the  inventor  of  a  similar  '  Fruit  Drier ' 
in  the  state  of  New  York  had  made  application  in 
advance  of  him."  His  invention,  however,  was  well 
received,  quite  widely  circulated,  and  highly  prized. 


GUERRILLA    WARFARE.  339 

Some  months  after  he  failed  to  secure  the  patent  he 
was  in  New  York  state,  and  saw  the  "Fruit  Drier'* 
that  was  patented  in  advance  of  his,  and  he  wrote  to 
his  wife,  "  It  is  no  more  like  mine  than  a  hawk  is  like 
a  handsaw." 

As  we  have  frequently  referred  to  the  products  ot 
his  inventive  and  mechanical  ingenuity,  we  may  add 
here,  that  the  occasions  for  its  exercise  were  numer- 
ous. On  one  of  his  lecturing  tours  in  the  northern 
part  of  Massachusetts,  he  wrote  to  his  wife,  from  a 
town  where  he  delivered  several  lectures,  that  he 
had  employed  his  daytime  in  constructing  a  useful 
apparatus  for  her  in  doing  housework,  and  should 
bring  it  to  her  on  his  return.  It  proved  to  be  an 
"Apple  Sifter,"  constructed  like  a  crank-churn,  and 
was  very  convenient  and  useful  in  sifting  stewed 
apples. 

Since  his  death  we  have  looked  about  his  home- 
stead, to  find  his  "  apple-drying  house."  We  re- 
membered of  his  return  from  a  rest  of  three  weeks 
at  home,  one  autumn,  to  the  Massachusetts  Tem- 
perance Alliance,  in  whose  employ  he  was.  He 
rehearsed  his  labors  in  constructing  an  "  Apple- 
drying  House,"  in  which  the  fruit  of  his  orchard  could 
be  dried  by  heat ;  and  he  had  tested  its  value  by 
drying  twenty  bushels  of  apples  or  more.  We  found 
it,  —  a  little  building  that  would  hold  from  twelve  to 
twenty  of  his  "  Fruit  Driers,"  one  above  another,  to- 
gether with  a  small-sized  cooking-stove,  so  arranged 
that  it  could  be  fed  on  the  outside.  Here  the  labor 
of  drying  apples,   away  from    flies    and  dust,  was 


340  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

materially  simplified  and  promoted,  producing  an 
extra  quality  of  dried  fruit,  clean,  white,  and  deli- 
cious. 

A  handcart  stood  near  by,  and  Mrs.  Jewett  re- 
marked, pointing  to  it,  "  The  doctor  made  that." 

"  Made  that?  "  we  replied. 

"  Yes ;  he  brought  the  wheels  from  Amesbury, 
Massachusetts,  and  made  it  himself." 

A  rod  distant  was  a  wheelbarrow.  Pointing  to  it, 
Mrs.  Jewett  said,  "  He  made  that,  also.  He  pur- 
chased the  wheel,  but  made  the  barrow." 

"  An3nhing  else  that  he  made?"  we  inquired. 

"  Yes  ;  you  must  go  into  the  wood-cellar,  and  see 
his  ^  shaving  machine.'" 

Whether  it  was  an  apparatus  to  relieve  men  of 
their  beards,  without  the  intervention  of  a  barber, 
we  did  not  know  ;  but  we  followed  on,  down 
through  the  bulkhead  into  the  cellar.  There  we 
found  a  very  simple  machine  for  making  shavings 
to  kindle  fires.  In  one  minute  the  house-girl,  or 
other  member  of  the  family,  could  make  shavings 
enough  for  kindling  a  rousing  fire. 

"  He  said  that  he  could  use  it,  also,  for  making 
hoe-handles  and  axe-handles,"  remarked  Mrs.  Jew- 
ett, "which  he  has  always  made." 

We  were  thinking  about  the  "  jack-at-all-trades," 
but  could  not  apply  the  remainder  of  the  adage  to 
him,  in  the  presence  of  such  skilful  handiwork, 
when  Mrs.  Jewett  added,  "There  is  another  thing 
he  did  :  he  was  accustomed  to  make  the  baskets  we 
used   m   the   family.     He   has  often  been  into  the 


GUERRILLA    WARFARE.  341 


woods,  where  he  split  the  material,  and  made  a 
basket  before  returning." 

Passing  along  into  the  garden,  on  a  green  plat 
we  observed  some  sort  of  frame-work  erected,  as  if 
for  gymnastic  performers,  and  we  inquired  its  use. 

"  He  erected  that  for  the  Chinese  boys  who  board 
with  us,  for  exercise  and  sport." 

Could  anything  be  more  practical?  Who  ever 
tried  hoarder  to  lighten  labor  and  make  it  a  joy? 

Dr.  Jewett  returned  to  Faribault  in  1867,  where 
he  left  his  wife  and  daughter,  while  he  proceeded  to 
Kansas  to  fulfil  his  engagement  there  for  the  State 
Temperance  Society.  He  stopped  long  enough 
with  his  old  friends  at  Faribault,  however,  to  delivei 
a  lecture  upon  the  "  Battle  of  Gettysburg."  He  had 
recently  visited  the  scene  of  that  bloody  conflict,  and 
was  able  to  instruct  and  interest  his  audience  upon 
the  locality  and  details  of  the  battle,  as  well  as  its 
place  in  the  overthrow  of  the  rebellion.  The  people 
enjoyed  his  lecture  exceedingly. 

It  was  his  first  visit  to  that  thrifty  state,  but  his 
fame  had  gone  before  him,  and  the  whole  temper- 
ance public  were  on  tiptoe  to  hear  the  distinguished 
speaker.  The  invitation  extended  to  him  at  that 
particular  time  grew  out  of  a  systematic  and  resolute 
effort  to  secure  effective  legislation  against  the  liquor 
traffic.  Commencing  his  labors  at  Manhattan,  he 
visited  the  principal  towns  and  cities,  in  some  places 
delivering  more  than  one  lecture.  Although  the 
people  were  expecting  a  "  treat,"  thoir  highest  antici- 
pations were  more  than  realized,  and  they  flocked 


342  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

to  hear  liim  as  they  had  rallied  to  listen  to  no  other 
lecturer.  Crowds  greeted  him  everywhere.  Reli- 
gious societies  opened  their  places  of  worship  gladly 
to  him ;  preachers  welcomed  him  to  their  pulpits, 
and  town  authorities  offered  their  public  halls  with- 
out charge  for  his  meetings. 

In  the  midst  of  his  labors  an  accident  cut  short  his 
work.  While  in  the  yard  of  Dr.  Amory  Hunting,  at 
Manhattan,  who  was  the  apostle  of  temperance  in 
Kansas,  he  trod  upon  a  rusty  nail,  the  result  of  which 
proved  quite  serious.  Physicians  feared  the  lock- 
jaw ;  and  the  opinion  of  one  of  them  was  that  in  the 
East,  lock-jaw  could  not  possibly  have  been  pre- 
vented. It  was  thought  best,  at  last,  that  the  doctor 
should  go  to  friends  in  Chicago,  to  which  place  his 
wife  could  be  speedily  summoned  in  case  he  grew 
worse. 

His  indomitable  will  and  great  courage  sustained 
him  in  fulfilling  quite  a  number  of  appointments^ 
while  suffering  acutely.     Rev.  R.  D.  Parker  says : 

"  He  came  to  my  house  in  Wyandotte,  arriving  the  sec- 
ond day  of  April ;  and  notwithstanding  his  sufferings  he 
lectured  on  that  and  the  following  evening  in  my  church, 
and  went,  on  April  4th,  to  Independence,  Missouri,  lec- 
turing there  on  two  evenings,  and  then,  on  Sunday,  April 
C)th,  he  spoke  again  to  crowded  houses,  morning  and 
evening,  in  my  Wyandotte  church." 

Rev.  Dr.  Cordley  gives  a  graphic  account  of  his 
last  lecture  in  the  city  of  Lawrence,  illustrating  his 
wonderful  power  to  control  even  physical  pain,  or 
holding  it  in  abeyance,  while  he  sent  conviction  to 


GUERRILLA    WARFARE. 


343 


the   hearts   of  a  delighted  audience.     Dr.   Cordley 
says  : 

•'  He  lectured  several  times  in  Lawrence.  The  last  time 
he  gave  a  course  of  six  lectures,  on  six  successive  evenings. 
His  audiences  increased  from  night  to  night,  both  in  num- 
ber and  interest.  At  the  last  lecture  the  hall  was  liter- 
ally packed.  During  the  whole  six  days  he  was  quite 
unwell  and  was  suffering  extremely  from  an  injury  to  his 
foot.  The  last  day  he  was  hardly  able  to  leave  his  room, 
and  his  foot  was  so  painful  that  he  could  not  stand  upon 
it.  His  friends  tried  to  persuade  him  to  postpone  his  lec- 
ture ;  but  he  said  that  if  he  could  get  to  the  hall  he  could 
talk  a  little  while  sitting,  and  then  close.  He  was  carried 
to  the  hall,  helped  upon  the  stage,  and  seated  in  an  easy- 
chair.  Leaning  forward  on  his  cane,  he  began  to  talk  in 
a  very  feeble  but  clear  manner.  As  he  proceeded,  his 
voice  grew  stronger,  and  his  form  grew  straighten  The 
crowd  seemed  to  inspire  him  ;  and  after  a  few  minutes 
he  arose  from  his  seat,  supporting  himself  on  one  foot  and 
on  his  cane,  and  finally  threw  the  cane  aside,  and  stood 
out  on  the  platform  erect.  His  infirmities  all  seemed  to 
leave  him,  and  he  poured  forth  a  stream  of  eloquent  logic 
which  held  the  audience  spellbound  for  an  hour  and  a 
half." 

While  the  doctor  was  in  Kansas,  an  amusing 
scene  occurred  at  Topeka,  the  capital  of  the  state. 
The  legislature  was  in  session,  and  the  friends  of 
temperance  were  making  an  effort  to  amend  the 
license  law,  so  that  no  man  could  take  out  a  license 
unless  his  application  was  indorsed  by  a  majority 
of  the  adults,  male  and  female,  of  his  town  or  ward 
of  the  city  in  which  he  lived.     The  liquor  interest 


344  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

sent  despatches  to  Leavenworth,  to  summon  the 
fraternity  to  Topeka  on  the  day  when  the  great  dis- 
cussion would  occur,  thinking  that  such  a  crowd 
might  prevent  the  passage  of  the  Act.  On  that  day, 
too,  the  friends  of  temperance  held  a  convention  in 
Topeka,  and  it  was  largely  attended,  for  Dr.  Jewett 
was  to  be  there.  The  railroad  on  which  most  of  the 
rumsellers  and  their  patrons  would  come,  was  sit- 
uated on  the  west  side  of  Kansas  River,  and  Topeka 
was  on  the  east  side,  and  the  bridge  that  spanned 
the  river  had  been  carried  away,  so  that  people  were 
ferried  over  in  boats.  On  the  morning  of  that  event- 
ful day  a  whole  car-load  of  liquor-sellers  and  their 
patrons  from  Leavenworth  arrived  at  the  depot  on 
the  east  side.  But  their  enthusiasm  and  amiable 
temper  were  suddenly  taken  out  of  them,  when  they 
found  that  during  the  night  previous  the  ice  in  the 
Republican  Fork  River,  a  tributary  of  the  Kansas, 
had  broken  up,  and  it  was  rushing  down  the  latter 
with  an  impetuosity  that  threatened  destruction  to 
any  boat  that  attempted  to  cross.  Not  a  boatman 
dared  to  risk  his  life  to  carry  a  passenger  over.  The 
rumsellers  were  compelled  to  wait  on  the  west  side 
of  the  river,  while  the  temperance  men  held  a  most 
enthusiastic  convention  on  the  east  side ;  and  the 
legislature  passed  the  temperance  Act  by  a  hand- 
some majority.  The  rumsellers  waited  for  the  ice 
to  run  past  until  they  were  tired,  and  then  returned 
to  Leavenworth,  Vv^hile  the  temperance  men  remained 
in  Topeka  overnight,  and  in  the  evening  celebrated 
the  glorious  victory  in   Representative   Hall.     Dr. 


GUERRILLA    WARFARE,  345 

Jevvett  never  felt  better  in  his  life,  and  his  eloquent 
and  witty  speech  made  all  his  hearers  feel  the  same. 
It  was  doubtful,  however,  whether  he  enjoyed  the 
legislative  victory  as  much  as  he. did  the  discomfiture 
of  the  rumsellers,  whom  the  Great  Proprietor  of  the 
Kansas  and  its  tributaries  so  sorely  vexed  on  the 
west  bank. 

In  order  to  introduce  another  fact  furnished  by 
Rev.  Mr.  Parker,  we  mention  a  remarkable  illus- 
tration of  Dr.  Jewett's  imitative  powers  and  com- 
mand of  the  passions,  in  a  series  of  photographs  — 
facial  expressions  showing  the  progress  of  intem- 
perance from  the  first  social  glass  to  the  last  in  the 
road  to  ruin,  used  particularly  in  his  lecture  on  the 
"Three  Stages  oi  Drunkenness ^  He  was  lecturing 
in  a  town  of  New  Hampshire,  and  was  entertained 
by  a  clergyman  who  was  formerly  a  photographer. 
His  taste  for  the  art  was  so  great  that  he  had  a  pho- 
tographic room  fitted  up  in  his  own  dwelling,  where 
he  experimented  for  improvement  and  pleasure.  He 
listened  to  the  doctor  with  rapt  attention,  and  was 
much  impressed  by  his  dramatic  ability  and  mimicry. 
Further  illustrations  in  this  line  at  his  own  house 
after  the  lecture  caused  him  to  request  the  doctor 
to  sit  on  the  following  day,  that  he  might  take  pho- 
tos of  those  facial  expressions. 

Rev.  Mr.  Parker  speaks  of  this  power,  though 
illustrating  another  line  of  thought  instead  of  drunk- 
enness, as  follows : 

"  When  Dr.  Jewett  canvassed  the  state  of  Michigan  in 
behalf  of  the  Prohibitory   Law,   I  was  a  student  in  the 


346  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT, 

university  at  Ann  Arbor,  and  saw,  at  a  state  fair,  a  set  of 
photos  (daguerreotypes  perhaps),  showing  his  emotions 
at  different  stages  of  the  work.  They  were  very  striking. 
I  wish  I  were  good  with  the  pencil,  I  could  almost  repro- 
duce those  pictures  from  a  memory  of  nearly  thirty  3'ears  : 
the  bright,  hopeful,  natural  look  with  which  he  undertook 
the  work ;  the  grand,  high  look  when  he  was  fairly  at 
work ;  the  courageous,  determined,  warrior-look  as  he 
pressed  the  enemy  to  the  wall ;  the  face  all  wreathed  in 
smiles  of  satisfaction  as  he  heard  the  election  was  carried 
for  the  law  ;  then  the  questioning,  indignant  surprise  when 
appeal  was  made  to  the  Supreme  Court ;  and  finally  the 
rage,  the  very  thunder-cloud  of  wrath,  when  the  law  was 
declared  unconstitutional." 

Next  we  find  Dr.  Jewett  laboring  in  Ohio,  under 
the  auspices  of  the  "Good  Templars."  Although,  like 
most  of  the  temperance  advocates,  he  preferred  open 
organizations,  and  had  no  taste  for  the  regalia,  pass- 
words, and  ceremonies  of  the  secret  orders,  yet  he 
cheerfully  conceded  to  them  a  sphere  of  usefulness, 
and  co-operated  with  them  heartily  in  prosecuting 
the  good  work.  He  even  joined  them,  and  was  a 
true,  loyal  member.     He  said  publicly  : 

"  Had  I  believed  there  was  anything  morally  wrong  in 
the  formation  and  support  of  these  organizations,  I  cer- 
tainly should  not  have  joined  and  worked  with  them. 
My  opinion  of  their  moral  character  I  have  further  indi- 
cated by  commending  them  oftentimes  to  congregations 
of  the  people  at  the  conclusion  of  my  public  discourses, 
and  urginsf  them  to  connect  themselves  therewith.  I  have 
done  so,  not  because  I  believed  them  the  best  calculated 
to  servo  our  purposes,  but  because  they  were  eminently 


GUERRILLA    WARFARE. 


347 


useful,  and  the  best  existing  at  the  time  in  those  localities ; 
and  I  did  not  feel  myself  at  liberty  to  throw  cold  vvatei 
Q'^.  the  efforts  of  earnest  brethren  by  questioning,  before  a 
mixed  audience,  the  wisdom  of  their  choice  as  to  the  forms 
through  which  they  would  labor." 

Ill  health  interrupted  the  doctor's  labors  in  Ohio, 
and  in  the  early  part  of  1868  he  went  down  into 
East  Tennessee  with  his  wife  and  daughter  to 
spend  the  summer  with  his  son,  whose  infirmities, 
occasioned  by  hard  service  in  the  war,  forced  him 
to  sell  his  farm  in  Faribault,  and  seek  a  warmer  cli- 
mate. He  was  located  on  the  Cumberland  Plateau, 
a  beautiful  region,  especially  inviting  to  invalids. 
The  result  of  that  visit  was,  that  the  doctor  pur- 
chased a  small  farm  at  Pomono,  near  his  son,  and  sub- 
sequently sold  his  Minnesota  farm.  One  inducement 
to  this  step  was  the  fact  that  the  health  of  his  son- 
in-law  was  completely  broken  dow^n,  and  the  doctor 
thought  that  a  residence  there  might  restore  him,  in 
which  he  was  sadly  disappointed.  His  disease  con- 
tinued to  progress,  and  finally,  after  three  or  four 
years  of  suffering,  he  passed  away,  leaving  a  void 
in  the  family^  which  only  springs  from  the  senee  of 
personal  worth. 

At  Pomono  the  doctor  was  twenty-five  miles  from 
a  place  of  public  worship,  in  a  region  that  had  been 
cursed  by  slavery  so  long  as  to  leave  its  blot  upon 
everything.  "  Poor  whites  "  and  poorer  blacks,  with- 
out schools,  preaching,  or  decent  homes,  elicited  his 
sincere  pity.  He  established  worship  in  his  own 
house ;  also  a  Sabbath-school,  with  his    son-in-law 


348  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT. 

for  superintendent ;  but  it  was  difficult  to  gather 
there  the  population  specially  needing  such  priv- 
ileges. Several  northern  families  had  settled  in  that 
vicinity,  six  or  eight  perhaps,  in  a  radius  of  five  or 
six  miles ;  and  they  were  glad  of  these  privileges. 
A  few  only  of  the  natives,  who  lived  in  squalor  and 
wretchedness,  could  be  reached.  Some  idea  of  the 
wretched  condition  of  the  "  poor  whites "  may  be 
formed  from  the  wonder  with  which  they  viewed 
the  articles  of  household  furniture  and  apparel. 
One  said  to  another,  describing  the  wonderful  things 
seen  in  Dr.  Jew^ett's  house,  "Don't  you  think,  they 
have  knives  and  forks  to  eat  with,  and  they  have  a 
broom  and  dust-pan,  as  they  call  them." 

From  a  letter  that  Dr.  Jewett  wrote  to  the  "  Tem- 
perance Advocate  "  of  New  York,  we  extract  the  fol- 
lowing : 

"To  be  serenaded  at  the  break  of  clay  by  the  whip- 
poorwill,  and  attend  a  full  concert  of  the  feathered  war- 
blers at  sunrise,  in  the  month  of  March,  is  to  a  northern 
man  quite  a  pleasant  novelty.  I  have  enjoyed  it  here  for 
some  days  in  my  new  mountain  home.  Not  less  have  I 
enjoyed  my  strolls  in  these  grand  old  woods,  where,  in 
almost  every  walk  of  a  mile,  I  startle  the  deer  :jnd  see 
them  bound  away  through  the  forest  in  their  ow^n  peculiar 
and  magnificent  style.  Those  misguided  souls  who  urge 
that  alcoholic  stimulants  are  needful  to  give  power  to 
muscle^  ought  to  see  a  herd  of  deer  move  off  on  the 
double-quick  when  startled  by  the  approach  of  their 
worst  enemy,  man.  Thirty  feet  is  but  an  ordinary  leap 
for  these  teetotalers  ;  and  our  field  fences  of  the  mountains, 
ten  rails  high,  are  apparently  no  more  in  their  way  than  a 


GUERRILLA    WARFARE. 


349 


three-foot  fence  vvoLild  be  to  a  trained  athlete.     There  is 
muscle  for  you,  dear,  boozy  beer-drinkers  !  " 

Dr.  Jewett  was  very  much  benefited  by  his  stay  in 
Tennessee,  so  that  in  September  of  that  year  he  felt 
strong  for  labor  again.  He  accepted  an  invitation 
to  spend  a  few  months  in  the  province  of  Ontario, 
West  Canada.  While  performing  his  work  there, 
he  received  an  invitation  from  the  National  Tem- 
perance Society  at  New  York  to  become  an  editor 
of  its  organ,  the  "  Temperance  Advocate,"  and  to  lec- 
ture also  in  that  state.  In  1869  he  accepted  the  last- 
named  position  and  entered  upon  its  duties,  his  family 
remaining  in  Tennessee.  This  separation  from  his 
family  was  not  congenial  to  Dr.  Jewett,  and  in  187*0 
they  joined  him,  keeping  house  across  the  river  in 
Williamsburg. 

The  doctor  occupied  this  position  three  years, 
proving  himself,  as  before,  in  the  editorial  chair,  a 
workman  that  "  needeth  not  to  be  ashamed,  rightly 
dividinor  the  word  of  truth."  His  services  were 
highly  appreciated  by  the  numerous  patrons  of  the 
Society,  his  facile  and  able  pen,  like  his  voice,  in- 
structing and  pleasing  them  always. 

While  engaged  in  editorial  labors.  Dr.  Jewett  pre- 
pared and  published  a  volume  entitled,  "  Forty 
Years'  Fight  with  the  Drink  Demon,"  in  which  he 
recorded  the  leading  events  of  the  temperance  cause 
during  his  connection  with  it.  The  volume  furnished 
still  further  proof  of  his  sincerity,  industry,  and  rare 
ability. 

Dr.  Jewett  became  thoroughly  convinced  tliat  the 


350  LIFE    OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT. 

time  had  come  for  him  to  establish  a  permanent 
home,  where  he  might  spend  the  remainder  of  his 
days.  He  was  satisfied  that  his  public  labors  must 
soon  close  altogether,  or,  at  least,  that  he  would  be 
able  to  devote  but  a  portion  of  his  time  to  the  lec- 
ture-field. In  these  circumstances,  a  permanent 
home  was  indispensable. 

He  withdrew  from  the  National  Temperance  So- 
ciety, removed  to  Norwich,  Connecticut,  and  pur- 
chased a  piece  of  land,  on  which  he  proceeded  to 
erect  a  house.  He  possessed  nearly  enough  prop- 
erty then  to  pay  for  a  comfortable  home ;  but  it  was 
in  the  hands  of  friends  in  New  York,  who  had 
invested  it  with  property  of  their  own.  Just  when 
he  was  expecting  to  command  the  principal,  aug- 
mented by  a  large  income,  he  lost  every  cent  of  it. 

We  recall  the  day  when  the  news  of  his  loss 
reached  him.  He  was  sitting  in  the  room  of  the 
Massachusetts  Temperance  Alliance.  The  letter 
was  put  into  his  hand,  and  he  opened  and  read  it. 
We  noticed  that  he  sat  silently  gazing  at  the  floor, 
but  thought  of  nothing  unusual,  until  he  said,  rising 
from  his  seat,  "  God's  will  be  done."  An  explana- 
tion followed.  We  find  a  letter,  which  he  wrote  to 
Mrs.  Jewett  at  the  time,  from  which  we  extract  the 
following : 

"  The  letter  came  upon  me  like  a  clap  of  thunder.  I 
see  nothing  now  before  me  but  the  prospect  of  losing  all 
I  have.  If  I  do,  it  will  necessitate  the  sale  of  our  home. 
Rather  than  struggle  on  under  that  load,  and  perhaps  kill 
myself  with   hard    labor   to  redeem   the  property,  I  had 


GUERRILLA    WARFARE,  351 


rather  at  once  submit  it  to  the  inevitable,  put  it  in  shape 
to  sell,  and  let  it  go,  pay  my  notes,  and  be  out  of  debt. 
We  are  told  not  to  lay  up  our  treasures  upon  earth, 
where,  &c.  Perhaps  we  have  erred  in  promising  our- 
selves too  much  happiness  in  the  possession  of  so  good  a 
home.  If  so,  God  forgive  us,  and  make  us  content  with 
one  less  desirable.  .  .  .  Thank  God,  we  have  wealth  in 
our  good  sons  and  daughters,  reputations  untarnished,  a 
past  record  we  are  not  ashamed  of,  and  in  any  case  there 
are  left  us,  and  will  be  in  the  event  I  am  now  compelled 
to  anticipate,  sources  of  happiness  to  which  many  are 
strangers.  ...  I  think  we  are  to  be  tried  by  one  more 
disappointment  in  relation  to  our  earthly  home  and  pos- 
sessions. God  grant  that  we  may  not  be  disappointed  in 
relation  to  our  home  '  not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in 
the  heavens.'  Let  us  take  care  that  there  be  no  mortgage 
on  that !     God's  will  be  done  ! 

"  Yours  —  '  cast  down  but  not  destroyed.'  ** 

Providence  however  favored  an  arrangement  of 
his  affairs,  so  that  he  retained  his  house,  though 
none  of  his  money  was  ever  recovered. 

Dr.  Jewett's  allusion  to  their  "  weaUh  in  sons  and 
daughters  "  leads  us  to  say  of  the  son,  in  whose  colle- 
giate education  he  was  so  deeply  interested,  that  he 
was  graduated  at  Yale  College  with  honors  in  1870, 
served  as  teacher  in  the  Norwich  Free  Academy 
two  years,  earning  money  to  pay  his  expenses  one 
year  at  the  university  of  Gottenburg,  Germany ; 
and  in  1876,  by  recommendation  to  the  Japanese 
government  by  the  president  of  Yale  College,  he 
was  appointed  Professor  of  Chemistry  in  the  Impe- 
rial University  at  Tokio,  Japan. 


352  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT, 

We  cannot  refrain  from  adding  part  of  a  letter 
which  the  doctor  wrote  to  Mrs.  Jewett  just  before 
his  son  left  for  Japan  : 

"  I  fear  I  shall  not  reach  home  to  see  Frank  off;  but  it 
would  not  help  the  matter.  He  well  knows  that  he  car- 
ries with  him  to  that  distant  land,  not  only  the  respect 
and  confidence  of  his  father  as  a  man,  but  a  father's  love, 
which  never  knew  a  chill  since  I  first  saw  him  in  his  moth- 
er's arms.  I  shall  follow  him  to  Japan  with  prayer^  and 
another  article  the  name  of  which  begins  with  the  same 
letter,  pride.  As  to  his  course  there  I  have  no  fears,  and 
of  his  complete  success  I  have  no  doubt.  He  carries  with 
him  all  the  elements  of  success  —  a  good  brain,  a  good 
constitution,  a  thorough  education  in  his  department,  an 
educated  and  enlightened  conscience,  a  firm  resolve  to  do 
his  duty,  and  a  fixed  trust  in  God.  To  the  Divine  guid 
ance  and  protection  I  prayerfully  and  hopefully  resign 
him.  God  bless  the  child  —  the  man  —  the  teacher  —  the 
Christian  gentleman  ! " 

Dr.  Jewett's  misfortune  compelled  him  to  devote 
more  time  to  the  lecture-field  than  was  consistent 
with  his  health,  and  much  more  than  he  designed  to 
give  to  it.  Some  of  the  time,  after  he  began  to 
build  his  house,  he  was  in  the  service  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts Temperance  Alliance.  He  gave  courses  of 
lectures,  during  this  period,  in  the  prominent  towns 
and  cities.  He  gave  a  course  of  six  in  Cambridge. 
At  the  close  of  his  course  he  was  to  rest  an  evening 
at  his  friend's,  George  D.  Chamberlain,  Esq.,  and 
quite  a  number  of  people  were  invited  to  meet  him 
there  on  that  evening. 


GUERRILLA    WARFARE. 


353 


When  the  company  had  gathered,  and  the  social 
intercourse  just  begun,  Mr.  Chamberlain  stepped 
forward,  and  thus  addressed  the  doctor : 

"  For  many  years  yoii  have  been  a  servant  of  the  peo- 
ple, and  the  friends  here  desire  to  intrust  a  little  matter 
to  your  care.  Long  years  ago,  in  the  state  of  Rhode 
Island,  w^as  a  young  physician  whose  professional  pros- 
pects were  unusually  bright.  He  beheld  the  ruin  occa- 
sioned by  the  sale  and  use  of  intoxicating  drinks,  and  his 
lieart  and  hand  were  enlisted  to  remove  the  curse.  Many, 
in  different  parts  of  New  England,  discovered  in  him 
sterling  qualities  for  a  great  work ;  and  they  besought 
him  to  enter  the  field  against  this  great  enemy  of  the 
race ;  and  their  request,  he  thought,  was  the  voice  of  the 
Master.  Leading  medical  men  advised  him  to  remain  in 
his  profession  ;  but  after  careful  deliberation,  he  responded 
favorably  to  the  call,  turned  away  from  his  brilliant  pro- 
fessional prospects,  and  consecrated  his  powers  to  the 
removal  of  intemperance.  Many,  many  years  have 
elapsed,  and  some  of  late  have  lost  sight  of  that  young 
man.  They  have  looked  in  vain  for  his  name  among  the 
Pierponts,  Sargents,  and  others  of  the  great  and  honored 
dead.  And  now,  sir,  we  desire  to  intrust  this  to  your 
care,"  (handing  him  a  roll  of  bills,)  "  and  if  you  can  find 
the  young  man,  now  grown  old  with  cares  and  years,  de- 
liver it  to  him,  and  tell  him  for  us  that  he  has  our  fervent 
prayers  and  our  most  cordial  support." 

The  doctor  was  taken  by  surprise.  Rallying  his 
self-possession,  and  bidding  emotion  down,  he  wiped 
away  his  tears,  and  said  : 

"  Friends :  While  I  did  leave  my  chosen  profession  to 
engage  in  the  temperance  worK,  I  have  always  felt  that  I 

23 


354  L^^^  OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT. 

did  it  at  the  call  of  duty.  The  way  has  sometimes  been 
rough,  but  I  have  found,  all  through  my  long  journey, 
just  such  warm-hearted  friends  as  I  find  here  to-night." 

Here  he  appeared  to  have  some  trouble  with  both 
throat  and  eyes  (and  most  of  the  company  were  in 
tears) ,  so  that  his  attempt  to  return  thanks  and  ex- 
press his  gratitude  proved  well-nigh  a  failure ;  and 
the  whole  company  speedily  adjourned  to  the  dining- 
hall,  where  a  bountiful  collation  soon  choked  down 
all  superfluous  emotions. 

There  were  eighty  dollars  in  that  roll  of  bills  ;  nor 
was  it  pay  for  his  lectures ;  pay  for  them  came  from 
another  source.  It  was  a  free  gift,  a  spontaneous 
tribute  to  his  ability  and  worth. 

We  recall  another  time,  while  the  doctor  was  in 
the  service  of  the  Alliance,  that  one  of  the  wealthiest 
men  of  the  state  presented  him  with  a  hundred- 
dollar  bill,  on  the  morning  after  he  lectured  in  the 
rich  man's  towm,  saying,  "That  is  for  you,  not  for 
the  Alliance.  I  wish  to  present  it  to  y^ou  as  an  ex- 
pression of  my  confidence  and  esteem.  Use  it  as 
you  please." 

He  did  use  it  as  he  pleased.  In  his  generosity  he 
divided  it  equally  between  the  treasury  of  the  Alli- 
ance and  his  own  pocket. 

It  was  during  his  final  labors  for  the  Alliance  that 
Dr.  Jewett  wrote  his  last  poem,  entitled,  "The 
Harvest  of  Rum."  It  was  printed  in  a  neat  pam- 
phlet of  sixteen  pages,  illustrated  with  five  excellent 
cuts,  and  was  widely  circulated.     Its  motto  was  that 


GUERRILLA    WARFARE. 


355 


inspired  passage,   "Whatsoever  a  man  soweth,  that 
shall  he  also  reap."     The  poem  opened  thus  : 

*'  Ho  !  to  the  reapers  the  harvest  has  come, 
And  the  crop  that  was  sown  by  the  sellers  of  rum 
Must  be  gathered  in  —  no  word  like  fail ; 
Some  to  the  almshouse,  and  some  to  the  jail. 
Aye  !  gather  the  crop  that  rumsellers  have  sown, 
Till  the  wheels  of  the  pauper-cart  shall  groan 

With  the  fearful  weight 

Of  the  wretched  freight ; 

Creak,  creak,  creak,  creak. 

Every  day  cf  every  week. 
Come,  stir  up  your  team  ;  ply  whip  and  goad. 
For  rumsellers'  crops  make  a  heavy  load." 

Dr.  Jewett  delivered  a  course  of  temperance  lec- 
tures in  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  aft^r  his  return  to 
Norwich.  The  press  of  the  city  pronounced  them 
as  "thoroughly  philosophical  and  scientific,  appeal- 
ing both  to  reason  and  conscience  with  great  power.'* 
Being  there  over  the  Sabbath,  he  was  invited  to 
preach  part  of  the  day  at  the  Presbyterian  church. 
He  accepted  the  invitation,  and  took  for  his  text, 
Mark  vii.  24-30,  containing  the  history  of  the  Syro- 
phenician  woman.  Subject,  Faith  :  its  trial,  impor- 
tance, and  rewards.  The  audience  listened  with  as 
profound  attention  to  his  sermon  as  they  had  to  his 
lectures,  and  were  as  profuse  in  their  praise  of  the 
former  as  they  had  been  of  the  latter. 

The  doctor's  labor,  during  the  last  three  years  of 
his  life,  was  performed  with  much  weariness  and 
pain.     The  only  rule  under  which  he  could  labor  at 


356  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

all  was,  short  lecturing  tours  and  long  intervals  of 
rest.  He  lectured  in  the  states  of  New  York,  New 
Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  and  Maryland,  with  an  occa- 
sional lecture  in  New  England,  impressing  his 
thoughts  upon  his  hearers  as  successfully  as  ever, 
and  enlarging  the  army  of  his  admiring  friends. 


AMONG  THE  CHILDREN. 


357 


XVII. 

DR.  JEWETT  AMONG  THE  CHILDREN. 

|R.  JEWETT  loved  children  passionately. 
Children  loved  him.  The  attraction  was 
mutual.  What  a  magnet  is  among  metals,  that  was 
Dr.  Jewett  among  children.  He  drczu,  and  they 
were  inclined  to  be  drawn.  Introduced  into  a  fam- 
ily of  them,  he  was  at  once  en  rap  fort  with  them. 
He  carried  about  with  him  a  photograph  of  three  little 
girls,  sisters,  belonging  to  a  family  in  which  he  often 
tarried.  They  were  in  his  pocket  when  he  came  home 
to  die.  Letters  already  quoted  speak  of  this  ele- 
ment of  power  in  his  character.  Others  mention  it 
more  fully.     One  clergyman  says  . 

"  After  he  had  been  at  my  house  once,  my  children 
would  hop  up  and  down  when  they  learned  that  he  was 
coming  again.  The  doctor  was  one  with  them,  and  such 
a  fund  of  stories  as  he  had  to  draw  from  seemed  to  as- 
tonish t'i.em  ;  all  of  the  stories  acted  out,  and  enforcing 
good  lessons.  With  pencil  in  hand,  he  would  make  them 
just  the  happiest  creatures  by  drawing  the  picture  of  any- 
thing they  asked  him  to  sketch." 

Another  writes : 

"  It  was  only  lately  that  he  made  his  home  at  my  house. 


358  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

We  found  him  one  of  the  most  agreeable  guests  we  have 
ever  known.  The  children  ivere  delighted  with  him^ 
and  he  seemed  to  enjoy  talking  with  them  greatly.  He 
had  a  pleasant  word  for  all,  and  every  visit  made  us  more 
ready  to  receive  him  again." 

From  another  letter  we  make  the  following  ex- 
tract : 

"Even  my  children  mourn  his  death.  They  loved  him 
ardently;  and  no  greater  treat  awaited  them  than  his 
coming  to  our  house.  It  was  the  assurance  of  an  extra 
good  time.  That  thousands  of  adults  like  myself  will  miss 
him  sadly  is  very  true  ;  but  think  of  the  children  who  will 
miss  him,  too  !  " 

From  Kansas  another  writes,  in  whose  house  the 
doctor  suffered  from  a  wounded  foot : 

"  One  of  the  cherished  memories  of  my  daughter,  now 
sixteen  years  old,  is  of  standing  behind  the  doctor  as  he 
sat  upon  the  floor,  his  foot  swathed  in  wet  bandages, 
combing  and  brushing  his  hair.  She  was  four  years  old, 
and  just  tall  enough  to  reach,  and  the  child's  prattle  and 
attention  seemed  to  divert  his  mind  from  his  sufferings." 

The  author  of  the  last  quotation  furnishes  an  illus- 
tration of  the  doctor's  tact  in  putting  all  the  members 
of  families  into  which  he  was  introduced  at  ease, 
and  upon  the  most  familiar  terms.  Addressing  the 
mother  of  the  household,  he  assured  her  that  he 
always  enacted  and  executed  a  -prohibitory  law 
against  all  extra  cooking,  and  extra  steps,  for  him, 
adding,  "  I  always  make  my  own  apple-pie  with 
bread  and  apple-sauce,  and  I  don't  want  any  woman 
to  do  it  for  me." 


AMONG   THE   CHILDREN. 


359 


One  of  the  mo'=;t  amusing  scenes,  in  this  connec- 
tion, occurred  in  Williamsburg,  N.  Y.  A  little  girl 
of  only  three  years,  Daisy  by  name,  was  very  fond 
of  the  doctor.  She  was  always  happ}^  in  his  pres- 
ence, and  he  was  as  happy  as  she.  He  allowed  her 
to  lather  his  face  when  he  shaved,  which  pleased 
her  greatly,  so  that  she  would  laugh  and  prattle 
at  the  top  of  her  voice  with  every  stroke  of  the 
brush,  and  putting  her  tiny  hand  upon  his  face 
where  the  razor  had  been,  sure  to  find  a  "  wuff " 
place  requiring  additional  lather.  For  a  half  hour 
the  doctor  would  prolong  the  operation  for  the  sake 
of  ministering  to  the  unalloyed  pleasure  of  the 
"wee  thing,"  as  well  as  for  the  amusement  of  look- 
ers-on. Sometimes  he  added  other  sources  of 
enjovment  to  the  little  creature,  such  as  "  sliding 
down  hill  "  on  her  mother's  dress-board. 

He  addressed  the  young  in  public  with  remarka- 
ble tact  and  power,  so  as  to  leave  impressions  ^hat 
were  never  obliterated.      One  clergyman  sajs  : 

'•  I  owe  my  earliest  impressions  of  interest  in  the  tem- 
perance  cause  to  Dr.  Jevv^ett's  lectures   in ,  Mass. 

When  I  was  a  boy,  he  gave  a  course  in  the  town  hall, 
which  w^as  crowded  to  hear  him.  I  recollect  very  well  a 
iiiece  of  poetry  of  his  own  that  he  repeated,  exposing  the 
meanness  of  rumselling." 

And  he  goes  on  and  repeats  the  verse  quoted  in 
a  former  chapter,  beginning,  "  I'd  sooner  black  my 
visage  o'er,"  together  with  its  effect  upon  a  young 
rumseller  who  read  it,  causing  him  to  abandon  the 


36o  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

business.     And  this  after  the  lapse  of  about  forty 
years  !     This  writer  adds  : 

"  I  heard  the  doctor  afterwards  in  Cleveland,  Ohio, 
and  he  had  lost  none  of  his  power  to  instruct  and  inter- 
est. His  thorough  knowledge  of  all  phases  of  the  subject, 
his  clear,  logical  statement  of  principles,  with  his  quaint 
humor,  made  him  the  most  interesting  and  effective  lec- 
turer I  ever  knew.  No  man  has  ever  done  more  to  form 
a  correct  public  sentiment  on  the  subject  of  temperance." 

Another  clergyman  writes : 

"  My  earliest  recollections  of  Dr.  Jewett  had  much  to 
do  in  shaping  my  future  on  the  temperance  question. 
When  I  was  a  lad  he  came  to  Scituate,  Mass.,  invited  by 
the  late  Rev.  Samuel  J.  May.  Both  took  tea  at  my  father's 
house  ;  and  well  do  I  remember  how  fascinated  I  was  with 
his  conversation,  and  his  witty  rhymings  as  he  recited 
them.  Although  I  had  signed  the  pledge,  I  distinctly 
recollect  that  interview  greatly  strengthened  my  faidi  in 
the  principle  of  total  abstinence.  Also  I  remember  when 
it  was  noised  abroad  that  Dr.  Jev^ett  would  lecture  in  the 
evening,  a  great  crowd  assembled  to  hear  him.  I  have 
him  in  mind  now  as  he  personated  the  drunkard,  and  so 
admirably  was  it  done  that  the  entire  audience  was  con- 
vulsed. I  remember  it  as  if  it  were  but  yesterday.  He 
was  a  great  mimic.'* 

Meeting  an  old  acquaintance  on  the  cars,  we  said, 
"  You  must  have  been  familiar  with  Dr.  Jewett ;  any 
incidents  in  his  life  that  you  recall?  " 

*'  Why,  sir,"  he  replied,  "  the  first  temperance  lecture 
that  I  ever  heard  was  by  Dr.  Jewett.  I  was  a  mere  boy, 
and  can  tell  you  the  whole  plan  and  argument  of  that  dis- 
course to-day.     At  that  time  the  plea  was  that  liquors 


AMONG   THE  CHILDREN.  361 

were  indispensable  to  health  and  strength,  and  the  doctor 
exposed  the  folly  of  it.  He  imitated  an  old  man  of  eighty, 
who  pleaded  that  his  long  life  was  due  to  the  moderate 
use  of  intoxicating  drinks.  Then  he  imitated  his  aged 
wife,  tying  a  bandanna  handkerchief  about  his  neck,  and 
reproducing  her  little,  trembling,  feminine  voice,  as  she 
maintained  that  liquor  '  did  her  old  man  a  heap  of  good.' 
'  It  is  a  delusion,'  remarked  the  doctor ;  '  but  suppose  it 
were  true,  and  that  these  two  aged  people  have  not  been 
injured  by  the  drink,  and  even  have  been  benefited,  shall 
we  set  this  sinsfle  case  over  a^^ainst  the  thousands  of  drunk- 
ards  that  fill  dishonored  graves,  and  the  tens  of  thousands 
of  criminals  that  fill  our  jails,  and  paupers  that  crowd 
our  almshouses?'  Boy  though  I  was,  I  saw  the  point, 
and  I  think  that  every  other  boy  and  girl  in  the  audience 
did ;  and  we  remembered  it  because  he  enforced  the  truth 
by  his  perfect  mimicry." 

Within  a  few  years  Dr.  Gould  of  Hartford,  Conn., 
paid  a  noble  tribute  to  Dr.  Jewett  by  introducing 
him  to  his  congregation  as  "  My  father,  and  teacher 
of  my  boyhood,  in  the  Temperance  cause." 

When  Dr.  Jewett  became  an  agent  of  the  Mas- 
sachusetts Temperance  Union  in  1840,  the  "Cold 
Water  Army"  was  enlisting  the  children  far  and 
near.  The  secretary  of  that  society,  Nathan  Crosby, 
was  deeply  interested  in  that  department  of  work, 
and  his  efficient  labors  had  awakened  much  inter- 
est. Joined  by  Dr.  Jewett  just  at  that  time,  he  was 
greatly  encouraged.  Rev.  M.  P.  Parish  was  an 
agent  of  the  society  also,  and  these  three  men  had 
charge  of  the  movement,  and  made  it  a  power  in 
the  state.    They  printed  pledges,  not  only  on  paper 


362  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 


but  on  pocket-handkerchiefs,  badges,  and  banners. 
They  manufactured  mottoes,  badges,  and  banners 
by  thousands,  and  organized  Cold  Water  armies 
throughout  the  state.  Reports  of  "children's  meet- 
ings" in  those  days,  numbering  one  thousand  and 
two  thousand  in  country  towns,  and  three  thousand 
and  upwards  in  cities,  were  not  unusual. 

Dr.  Jewett  was  at  home  and  enthusiastic  before 
such  swarms  of  children.  Many  thought  he  ex- 
celled in  addressing  boys  and  girls,  although  they 
could  not  see  how  he  could  improve  in  addressing 
adults.  At  any  rate  his  success  was  complete,  and 
the  children  in  every  part  of  the  state  flocked  to 
hear  him ;  and  he  was  invited  often  to  address  chil- 
dren in  other  states.  Nor  were  his  "talks"  mere 
twaddle,  but  instruction  of  the  highest  type,  en- 
forced by  anecdote,  illustration,  and  wit.  He  drew 
upon  his  dramatic  and  imitative  powers  largely, 
sometimes  making  his  juvenile  audience  almost  wild 
with  excitement.  He  could  be  a  staggering,  loath- 
some drunkard  before  them,  or  a  hapless,  half- 
starved  drunkard's  child,  begging  for  bread.  They 
could  see  in  him  the  sober,  kind,  loving  father,  try- 
ing to  make  his  children  and  their  mother  happy 
in  a  pleasant  home ;  and  they  could  see,  too,  the 
drunken  father,  savage  and  ugly,  a  terror  to  his 
children,  and  making  home  a  dreaded  place.  No 
other  lecturer  could  instruct  them  so  thoroughly  In 
all  these  things. 

We  recall  his  attacks  upon  cider,  christening  it 
**  Worm-Juice."    Appealing  to  the  boys  especially, 


AMONG   THE   CHILDREN.  363 

he  caused  them  not  only  to  laugh  and  shout,  but  to 
turn  away  in  disgust  from  that  "  decoction  of  rotten 
apple  and  extract  of  worm."  He  would  portray  the 
cider-mill  before  his  eager  listeners  with  its  pile  of 
half-deca3^ed  fruit,  "left  to  partially  rot  that  there 
might  be  more  juice  and  tne  worms  fatter,"  so  viv- 
idly that  we  could  see  the  fat,  lusty  worms  smashed 
up  with  the  rotten  apples,  and  scarcely  help  believ- 
ing that  the  resultant  flowing  into  the  tub  was 
composed  of  very  poor  apple-juice  (because  the 
fruit  was  rotten)  and  the  liquid  part  of  worms,  in 
about  equal  parts.  From  that  time,  in  our  youth, 
Vv-e  have  avoided  cider-mills. 

Poetry  was  a  prominent  instrumentality  which  the 
doctor  employed  to  reach  the  hearts  of  children  — 
his  ow^n  composition  and  that  of  others.  He  also 
drew  largely  upon  the  standard  poets,  as  Shake 
speare,  Burns,  Cowper,  &c.,  to  interest  them.  With 
his  tact,  powder  to  represent  character,  forcible  and 
eloquent  recitation,  he  was  able  to  make  quotations 
from  the  best  poets,  and  fascinate  his  juvenile  audi- 
ences. Here  is  one  from  Cowper,  that  a  gentleman 
remembers  to  have  heard  the  doctor  recite  inimita- 
bly, nearly  forty  years  ago,  to  expose  and  conderr'n 
the  plea,  "  Rum  must  be  sold,  and  I  may  as  weU 
sell  it  as  others." 

"  A  youngster  at  school,  more  sedate  than  the  rest, 
Had  once  his  integrity  put  to  the  test: 
His  companions  had  plotted  an  orchard  to  rob, 
And  asked  him  to  go  and  assist  in  the  job. 


364  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

"  He  was  shocked,  sir,  like  you,  and  answered,  *  Oh,  no  ! 
What !  rob  our  good  neighbor  ?     I  pray  you,  don't  go. 
Besides,  the  man's  poor,  — his  orchard  's  his  bread  ; 
Then,  think  of  his  children,  —  for  they  must  be  fed.' 

"  *  You  speak  very  fine,  and  you  look  very  grave  : 
But  apples  we  wap*j  and  apples  we'll  have  ; 
If  you  will  go  with  us,  you  shall  have  a  share  ; 
If  not,  you  shall  have  neither  apple  nor  pear.' 

"  They  spoke,  and  Tom  pondered  :  '  I  see  they  will  go  ; 
Poor  man  !  what  a  pity  to  injure  him  so  ! 
Poor  man  !  I  would  save  him  his  fruit  if  I  could, 
But  by  staying  behind  will  do  him  no  good. 

'' '  If  the  matter  depended  alone  upon  me. 

His  apples  might  hang  till  they  drop  from  the  tree ; 
But,  since  they  will  take  them,  I  think  I'll  go  too ; 
He  will  lose  none  by  me,  though  I  get  a  few.' 

"  His  scruples  thus  silenced,  Tom  felt  more  at  ease, 
And  went  with  his  comrades  the  apples  to  seize. 
He  blamed  and  protested,  but  joined  in  the  plan,  — 
He  shared  in  the  plunder,  but  pitied  the  man  !  " 

An  illustration  of  Dr.  Jevvett's  ability  to  charm  a 
child  by  reading  or  recitation  is  found  in  the  follow- 
ing fact.  A  few  months  before  his  death,  after  he 
was  brought  home  sick,  and  when  he  appeared  to 
be  improving,  a  mother  called  upon  him  with  her 
little  daughter.  The  child  and  aged  patient  were 
soon  on  the  best  of  terms,  conversing,  laughing, 
and  having  a  pleasant  time.  At  last  the  doctor  asked 
her  if  he  should  not  recite  "  The  Death  of  Little  Joe,'* 
trcm  Dickens?  She  indicated  her  desire  to  hear  it 
in  a  gleeful  way.  So  the  doctor  leaned  forward  in 
his  arm-chair   and   began  it.     The  child's  interest 


AMONG   THE   CHILDREN.  365 

deepened  as  he  proceeded,  tears  gathered  in  her 
eyes,  and  her  Hp  quivered  as  he  drew  near  the  end : 
and  when  he  closed,  she  burst  into  tears  and  wept 
as  if  her  little  heart  would  break.  A  higher  com- 
pliment could  hardly  be  paid  to  a  reader. 

The  '*  Union  "  published  a  monthly  paper  for  the 
"  Cold  Water  Army,"  and  when  Dr.  Jewett  assumed 
the  charge  of  its  publications,  he  introduced  a  novel 
feature  into  this  juvenile  periodical.  It  was  a  rhyme 
department,  with  the  picture  of  his  "  Patent  Rhyme 
Grinder  "  for  turning  out  poetry,  made  like  a  grist- 
mill, turned  by  a  crank,  the  boy,  Irish  Jimmy,  turn- 
ing it,  a  hopper  full  of  "  facts  "  feeding  it,  while  the 
doctor  sat  taking  away  the  columns  of  "  machine 
poetry  "  as  it  was  delivered.  We  furnish  an  example 
of  his  work  entided  "  Strangulation,  or  The  Dis- 
tiller's Disaster."  A  noted  Boston  distiller  fell  into 
a  fermenting  vat,  and  but  for  the  timely  aid  of  work- 
men would  have  died  by  strangulation.  Dr.  Jewett 
appropriated  the  rather  serious  accident  (he  was 
wont  to  use  passing  events  in  this  way) ,  and  the 
following  appeared  in  his  paper  as  the  result  of  his 
effort : 

"Z>r.  Hold,  Jimmy !  I  have  no  time  to  hear  more 
of  Mistress  McGowan's  lecture  on  Strangulation ;  but,  as 
you  seem  to  be  quite  interested  in  the  matter,  suppose  you 
put  the  facts  in  your  Patent  Rhyme-grinder,  and  turn  us 
out  something  for  the  Journal. 

''Jim.     Faix!  I'll  do  it. 

(^He  brings  out  the  machine  and  commences  opera* 
tions.) 


366  LIFE  OF   CHARLES  JEWETT. 


"  ril  sing  you  a  song  that  is  rare  and  queer, 
Of  a  nager  that  fell  in  a  vat  of  beer, 
Which  was  rendered  so  fine  as  he  slowly  decayed. 

That  the  liquor  was  praised, 

Its  price  was  much  raised, 
The  business  increased,  and  a  fortune  was  made. 

''''Dr.  Jim,  you  make  strange  work.  You  were  going 
to  grind  out  a  song  from  facts  that  occurred  in  this  Western 
world,  and  your  very  first  verse  is  about  an  old  affair  that 
happened  twenty  years  ago  on  the  other  side  of  the  At- 
lantic. 

'•''yim.  Niver  mind,  doctor,  jewel.  I'll  come  to  it  di- 
rectly.    {He  tur7ts  again^ 

"  One  Haman,  the  Scriptures  relate, 
Got  mad  at  the  Jew,  Mordecai, 
And  built  for  him,  outside  the  gate, 
A  gallows  some  fifty  feet  high. 
*  Ha,  ha  ! '  said  his  wife,  *  they  will  yet  learn  to  fear  us,  — • 

These  stifl>-necked,  obstinate  Jews  ; 
Now  go  to  the  party  with  Ahasuerus, 

Be  cheerful  and  banish  the  blues ; 
Come,  hurry,  my  honey, 
Drink  wine  and  be  funny.' 


AMONG    THE  CHILDREN.  367 

He  went ;  and,  bad  luck  to  him  !   made  such  a  bother, 
He  got  himself  hanged  jist,  instead  of  the  other ! 
And  he  couldn't  complain  of  the  way  it  was  done, 
For  they  let  down  the  drap  on  a  plan  of  his  own. 

^^Dr.  Worse  and  worse,  Jimmy!  You  are  farther 
from  your  proper  subject  than  before.  You  have  wan- 
dered in  point  of  distance  as  far  as  Persia  ;  and  as  to  time, 
you  have  made  a  jump  backward  of  more  than  two  thou- 
sand years.     What  next? 

^^Jim.  Troth,  ye're  mighty  pertickular  !  If  you  don't 
be  aisy  stoppin'  me,  I  won't  grind  at  all,  at  all ;  and  yc 
may  turn  ye'self. 

"/>/-.  Well,  let  go  the  crank,  and  I'll  give  you  a  speci- 
men of  my  work  off-hand.  {^The  doctor  now  turns^  zvhile 
yzmmy  looks  on  in  amazement.) 

"  The  fire  glowed  bright  beneath  the  still, 

And  fiercely  boiled  the  foaming  flood. 
Destined  the  drunkard's  veins  to  fill. 

To  scorch  his  brain  and  fire  his  blood. 
The  workmen  cheerily  plied  their  tasks, 

When  in  the  great  distiller  came 
T'  inspect  the  work  ;  and  now  he  asks 

'  How  boils  the  flood  ?    How  burns  the  flame  }  * 
Vexed  that  the  hell-broth  cooks  so  slow, 

He  mounts  a  vat  with  careless  tread. 
To  stir  the  mixtures  vile  below, 

But  slips,  and  plunges  over  head  ! 
Panting  and  gasping  hard  for  breath. 
He  would  have  yielded  there  to  death  ; 
But  helping  hands  were  now  applied. 
Which  dragged  him  up  the  slippery  side ; 
And  forth  from  that  fermenting  vat. 
Resembling  much  a  drowned  wharf-rat, 


368  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

Bedaubed  with  yeasty  slime  and  foam, 

Fragrant  and  dripping  as  he  passed, 

This  great  distiller  sought  his  home, — 

By  sad  experience  taught  at  last 
This  truth,  contained  in  Holy  Writ: 
Who  for  his  neighbor  digs  a  fit 
Will  some  time  tumble  into  it ! " 

This  production  is  worthy  of  more  attention  than 
the  doctor's  fun  over  it  seems  to  warrant.  The  poem 
possesses  much  of  real  poetical  excellence,  while 
the  ingenuity  and  humor  involved  in  its  conception 
and  plan  are  remarkable. 

So  much  enthusiasm  was  created  among  the  chil- 
dren by  this  "machine  poetry,"  that  at  one  place 
where  the  doctor  lectured,  the  boys  and  girls  crowded 
around  him,  and  one  of  them  asked,  "  Did  Jimmy 
come  with  you?" 

At  one  time  the  doctor  was  in  Berkshire  County. 
A  boy  carried  him  from  a  railroad  station  one  day 
to  a  village  over  the  hills  four  miles  distant.  As 
usual,  the  doctor  found  company  in  the  lad,  and  soon 
both  were  on  the  most  familiar  terms,  the  former 
seeking  to  interest  and  benefit  the  boy,  while  the 
latter  listened  eagerly  to  the  wise  counsels  of  his 
stranger-friend. 

"  See  there,  my  lad,"  exclaimed  the  doctor,  point- 
ing to  an  old  hemlock  that  had  fallen  partly  over, 
and  was  resting  upon  a  young,  stout,  black  birch. 

"See  w^hat?  "  answered  the  boy,  inquiringly. 

"  That  aged  hemlock  supported  by  that  neighbor- 
ly birch.    There  is  a  lesson  in  that  for  you,  my  lad." 


AMONG   THE   CHILDREN: 


369 


"  I  see  the  hemlock,"  replied  the  boy,  "  but  I  don't 
see  the  lesson." 

"Well,"  replied  the  doctor,  laughing,  "I  am  in- 
clined to  think  that  the  old  hemlock  can  be  seen 
more  clearly  by  a  boy  like  you  than  the  lesson  it 
teaches;  but  I  guess  I  can  help  you  to  see  the  les- 
son as  distinctly  as  you  can  the  tree.  What  do  you 
say  to  that,  my  little  man?  " 

"I  should  like  to  see  the  lesson,"  responded  the 
boy. 

"Well,  then,"  continued  the  doctor,  "you  see  the 
old  hemlock  was  getting  infirm,  like  an  aged  man 
who  totters  with  3^ears  ;  and  that  smart  young  birch 
said  to  it :  '  My  good  neighbor,  you  are  not  so  strong 
as  you  used  to  be,  and  you  cannot  stand  very  well 
without  help.  Now,  the  next  time  a  storm  comes, 
do  you  just  lean  over  upon  me,  and  I  will  hold  you 
up.  I  cannot  tell  how  long  I  shall  be  spared  to  do 
it;  but  any  way,  you  lean  on  me.' 

"So  when  the  next  gale  blew  over  the  hill,  the 
weak,  old  hemlock  leaned  upon  its  kind-hearted 
young  friend,  and  there  it  has  rested  ever  since. 
Now,  my  boy,  there  is  a  beautiful  lesson  in  that; 
don't  you  see  ?  " 

"I  think  I  do,"  replied  the  boy,  with  a  smile  that 
almost  run  into  a  lau2fh. 

"I  think  you  do,  too,"  continued  the  doctor. 
"That  is  bi'otherly  love  and  respect  for  the  aged. 
Hov/  much  better  it  is  to  be  kind  and  generous  to 
others  than  it  is  to  be  unkind  and  heartless  !  And 
how  blessed  it  is  to  see  young  people  respectful  and 
24 


370  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT. 

attentive  to  the  aged !  Remember  that,  my  lad. 
One  of  these  days  your  parents,  if  spared,  will  be 
old  and  infirm,  and  perhaps  poor  and  needy,  when 
you  are  a  strong,  noble  young  man.  Say  to  them, 
as  that  young  birch  said  to  the  hemlock,  'Father, 
mother,  lean  on  me  now ;  you  are  too  aged  and 
weak  to  take  care  of  yourselves,  and  I  shall  love  to 
have  you  lean  on  me.'  Now,  my  little  fellow,  don't 
you  think  that  is  a  good  lesson?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  answered  the  lad  with  an  emphasis 
that  denoted  character. 

The  doctor  continued  his  counsel  and  pointed 
out  some  of  the  temptations  that  lure  the  young 
into  vicious  ways,  not  omitting  to  speak  of  intoxi- 
cating liquors  ;  and,  before  his  destination  was 
reached,  the  young  driver  understood  that  he  was 
carrying  the  temperance  lecturer  —  Dr.  Charles 
Jewett. 

By  the   time   they  reached  L the  boy   had 

received  more  real  valuable  instruction  to  qualify 
him  for  practical  life  than  he  ever  possessed  before. 
Besides,  he  had  made  the  acquaintance  of  the  most 
interesting  passenger  whom  he  ever  carried  any- 
where —  a  man  he  could  never  forget  as  long  as  he 
lived. 

Arriving  at  his  stopping-place,  the  doctor  shook 
hands  with  the  boy,  supplementing  his  good  lessons 
with  other  pertinent  counsels,  and  hoping  that  he 
might  meet  him  somewhere  "when  he  became  a 
man ; "  and  then  dismissed  the  matter  from  his 
mind  for  other  and  sterner  duties. 


AilfO.VG    THE    CniLDREl\. 


371 


Not  so  with  the  boy  :  he  never  dismissed  thai  in- 
terview from  his  mind.  He  returned  to  his  home 
enthusiastic  over  the  experience  of  that  day.  The 
interview  with  Dr.  Jewett  was  rehearsed  to  his 
parents  and  to  others.  His  playmates  came  in  for  a 
share  of  his  pleasure,  as  he  rehearsed  over  and  over 
the  remarks  of  his  droll  passenger.  The  old  hem- 
lock was  not  forgotten.  He  passed  by  it  many  times 
thereafter,  and  it  was  always  leaning,  and  the  ''smart 
young  birch"  was  ever  saying,  '"^ Lean,  I  love  to 
help  you  now'." 

More  than  twenty  years  afterwards,  when  that 
boy  had  become  a  citizen  of  Chicago,  111.,  he  read 
an  advertisement  in  the  paper,  that  Dr.  Charles 
Jewett  would  lecture  on  temperance  in  the  city  the 
following  evening.  The  Berkshire  boy  was  there 
of  course.  Nothing  short  of  a  broken  limb  or  small- 
pox could  have  kept  him  away.  An  eager  listener 
he  was,  too.  He  had  more  reason  to  listen  than  any 
other  person  in  the  hall. 

At  the  close  of  the  lecture  he  approached  the  doc- 
tor with  the  familiarity  of  an  old  friend,  extending 
his  hand,  and  saying,  "  Do  you  remember  when  we 
met  first,  doctor?  " 

"  No,  I  do  not,"  replied  Dr.  Jewett,  not  recognizing 
the  gentleman  as  any  one  he  ever  knew. 

"  Do  you  remember  delivering  an  address,  many 

years   ago,    in   the   tov/n  of  L ,    in   Berkshire 

County,  Massachusetts?" 

"Oh,  yes!" 


372  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

"Well,  how  did  you  get  from  the  railroad  depot 
to  that  village  ?  " 

"A  boy  took  me  over." 

"Yes,  that  is  it.  I  was  that  boy.  It  was  in  the 
winter,  and  I  took  you  in  a  sleigh."  And  the  gen- 
tleman went  on  to  relate  the  circumstances  as  we 
have  recorded  them  above,  all  of  which  had  passed 
from  the  recollection  of  the  doctor. 

"Let  me  tell  you.  Dr.  Jewett,"  added  the  mer- 
chant, "I  never  forgot  your  words  or  that  lesson. 
They  have  done  me  good  through  all  the  years 
since,  and  have  reminded  me  very  often  of  the  love 
that  is  due  to  a  brother-man,  and  the  respect  that 
belongs  to  the  aged.  If  the  right  sort  of  a  boy 
would  make  the  right  sort  of  a  man,  from  that 
moment  I  resolved  to  be  that  boy." 

Dr.  Jewett  prepared  and  published  a  little  work 
of  thirty-two  pages,  entitled,  "The  Youth's  Temper- 
ance Lecturer,"  designed  "  to  convey  to  the  mind  of 
the  youthful  reader  as  much  truth  in  relation  to  the 
causes  and  consequences  of  intemperance  as  is 
possible  in  so  few  pages."  It  was  illustrated  with 
seventeen  telling  cuts,  the  product  of  his  own  brain, 
and  treated  of  such  subjects  as  "  How  Distilled  Spir- 
its are  made,"  "  How  Wine  is  made,"  "  How  Ale 
and  Beer  are  made,"  "  How  Cider  is  made,"  "  The 
Wholesale  Liquor  Dealer,"  "The  Tavern  Bar," 
"The  Grog-Shop,"  with  the  consequences,  as  "The 
Drunkard's  Home,"  "The  Drunkard's  Boy,"  &c. 
This  little  work  received  a  hearty  welcome  from  the 
temperance  public,  and  passed  through  thirty  edi- 


AMONG   THE  CHILDREN.  373 

tions.  It  became  really  one  of  the  temperance  edu- 
cating forces  of  its  day,  put,  as  it  was,  into  the  hands 
of  children  who  are  the  men  and  women  of  to-day. 
It  contained  several  poetical  effusions  adapted  to  the 
class  for  whom  the  book  was  written.  We  furnish 
one  sample.  It  closes  his  description  of  the  process 
of  distilling  liquors : 

"  They  put  molasses  many  an  hour 
Into  vats  and  let  it  sour ; 
When  it  is  as  sour  as  swill, 
Then  they  pour  it  in  a  still. 
Under  it  they  put  the  fire. 
Till  it  burns  up  high  and  higher. 
Now  the  poison,  hot  and  strong, 
Trickles  through  the  pipe  along, 
Till  it  drops  into  the  cask. 
Little  readers,  do  you  ask. 
Why  they  turn  molasses  sweet, 
Which  is  given  us  to  eat. 
Into  rum  ?     I'll  tell  you  why  : 
'Tis  that  foolish  men  may  buy 
And  drink  the  poison  stuff  and  die." 

The  doctor  frequentl}?^  wrote  poems  to  order  for 
the  gratification  of  personal  friends  and  the  public. 
The  following  was  written  within  a  few  years,  by 
request,  for  "  Little  Robert's  Speech,"  at  the  "  Band 
of  Hope  Meeting,"  in  Chicago  ;  the  subject, 
Grandpa. 

"  Few  boys  have  grandpas  so  good  as  mine ; 
He  is  eighty  years  old,  to  be  sure, 
And  never  has  meddled  with  brandy  or  wine, 
But  drank  of  the  water  pure. 


374  L^^^   O^  CHAI^LES  JEWETT. 

He  does  noi  smoke,  or  chew,  or  snufF 
Tobacco,  but  hates  the  poison  stuff; 
So  he's  hale  and  hearty,  and  hobbles  about, 
And  though  rather  lame,  it  is  not  with  gout; 
Very  few,  of  his  age,  are  half  so  stout ; 
To  be  sure  he  ain't  spry  as  he  used  to  be, 
When  he  was  a  boy  like  you  and  me. 

"  He  used  to  go  out  with  us  boys  to  the  grove. 
To  gather  the  nuts  as  they  fell ; 
But  now  he's  too  lame,  so  he  sits  by  the  stove, 

And  the  queerest  stories  he'll  tell, 
Of  how,  when  a  boy,  he  could  climb  with  ease 
To  the  very  tops  of  the  tallest  trees. 
And  shake  down  the  walnuts  as  oft  as  he'd  please : 
But  now  dear  old  grandpa  ain't  smart  at  all, 
And  scarcely  can  climb  o'er  the  garden  wall. 

"  He  laughs  at  the  pranks  we  children  play. 

And  seems  so  happy  and  glad ; 
And  he  tells  us  all  about  the  way 

They  played  'em  when  he  was  a  lad  ; 
How  they  built  snow  forts,  and  stormed  them,  too ; 
How  they  scuffled  and  scrambled,  and  snowballs  flew  ; 
And  all  the  wild  frolics  the  boys  went  through. 
Why,  boys,  we  laughed  till  our  sides  were  sore. 
While  he  told  us  all  that,  and  a  great  deal  more. 

"  He  once  had  a  horse  —  so  I  heard  him  say  — 

That  was  famous  for  speed  and  power ; 

For,  hitched  to  a  gig,  light  wagon,  or  sleigh. 

He  could  trot  his  ten  miles  to  the  hour ; 
But  now  '  Old  Gray,'  with  his  shambling  pace. 
He  thinks  is  the  very  best  horse  in  the  place. 
Though  you'd  lose  if  you  bet  on  his  legs  for  a  race ; 


AMONG   THE  CHILDREN,  375 

But  grandpa  would  choose,  for  a  drive,  Old  Gray 
To  the  very  best  horse  you  have  seen  to-day. 

"  One  day,  as  he  sat  in  his  old  arm-chair, 

From  the  yard  he  had  just  come  in ; 
And  dear  old  grandma  was  combing  his  hair, 

When  she  chucked  him  under  the  chin. 
And,  said  she, '  Good  man,  your  locks  were  brown, 
And  very  much  thicker  on  temples  and  crown, 
When  first  you  came  to  this  blessed  old  town  ; 
You  were  then  just  twenty,  and  rather  wild.* 
And  grandpa  looked  up  in  her  face  and  smiled. 

"He  gave  us  a  temperance  talk  last  week, 
About  thousands  destroyed  by  drink ; 
And  as  he  talked  I  saw  on  his  cheek 
A  tear  ;  and  I  could  not  but  think 
That  perhaps  some  loved  one,  young  and  fair, 
A  brother,  or  son,  had  been  caught  in  the  snare ; 
But  to  ask  him  about  it  I  did  not  dare : 
But  I'll  tell  you  what,  boys,  I've  heard  enough 
To  make  me  afraid  of  the  poison  stuff. 

"  No  wine  these  lips  shall  ever  pass, 

Nor  ale,  to  muddle  our  brains ; 
Poor  swearing  Sam  may  swallow  his  glass, 

And  be  an  old  bloat  for  his  pains  ; 
Our  drink  shall  be  of  the  crystal  spring. 
For  poor-house  board  is  not  the  thing. 
Or  the  gallows-rope  a  desirable  swing : 
The  poor-house,  and  prison,  and  gallows-rope 
Will  rarely  be  used  by  our  '  Band  of  Hope.'  '* 

The  audience  that  listened  to  Robert  understood 
very  well  who  "  Grandpa  "  was. 


376  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT, 

We  close  this  chapter  with  the  following  poem, 
entitled  "The  Ambitious  Toad."  The  doctor  was 
climbing  to  the  summit  of  a  high  hill  one  morning, 
when  he  espied  a  toad  going  up  also,  with  which  he 
held  this  poetical  colloquy.  It  has  afforded  pleas- 
ure not  only  to  children,  but  also  to  many  of  their 
parents : 

"  Ho  !  fellow-traveller,  which  way  now? 

ArftoiHng  up  the  steep, 
Over  whose  rough  and  craggy  brow 

The  morning  sun  doth  peep? 
Art  proud,  and  dost  the  vale  despise? 
Or  dost  thou  hop  for  exercise  ? 

"  The  poet  Milton  doth  relate 

That  one,  of  angel  birth, 
With  pride  and  devilish  hopes  elate, 

Once  visited  our  Earth, 
And  took  thy  shape,  to  work  his  plan 
Of  ruin  to  poor  thoughtless  man. 

"  And  hast  thou,  since  that  fatal  day, 

Partaken  his  ambition? 
And  art  thou  toiling  up  this  way 

To  better  thy  condition? 
Poor  toad  !     I  fear  that,  after  all 
Thy  pains,  like  him,  thou'lt  get  a  fall. 

"  Yon  bird  doth  weary  on  the  wing 

Before  it  reach  the  top  ; 
And  dost  thou  hope,  poor,  silly  thing, 

That,  with  thy  labored  hop, 
Thou'lt  safely  reach  the  hill's  green  crown 
And  gaze  about  upon  the  town? 


AMONG   THE  CHILDREN. 


"  Oo.,  get  thee  down,  nor  look  behind, 
But  '  fling  away  ambition  ;  * 
And  for  the  future  be  resigned 
To  thine  obscure  condition  ; 
For,  sure,  contentment  is  the  road 
To  happiness,  for  man  or  toad** 


377 


"  Danger  awaits  thee,  shouldst  thou  gain 
So  high  an  elevation  : 
Thy  blood  those  rugged  rocks  may  stain ; 

For,  toward  that  lofty  station 
The  hawk  pursues  her  airy  road,  — 
And  hawks,  you  know,  v/ill  eat  a  toad. 


378  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 


XVIII. 

DR.  JEWETT   IN  THE   LECTURE-FIELD. 

DR.  T.  L.  CUYLER'S  opinion  of  Dr.  Jewett, 
"  Our  Nestor  and  Achilles  of  Reform ;  "  and 
that  contained  in  a  letter  "just  received,  which  says, 
*'  As  a  lecturer,  Dr.  Jewett  stood  at  the  head  of  the 
list;"  express  about  the  average  verdict  of  press, 
pulpit,  and  individuals  concerning  the  doctor  in  the 
lecture-field. 

We  have  spoken  of  several  qualities  that  emi- 
nently fitted  him  for  this  sphere  of  action ;  all  of 
which  derived  advantage  from  his  habit  of  reading. 
We  have  seen  already  that  he  read  the  new  medical 
works,  kept  posted  upon  the  progress  of  art  and 
science,  and  was  familiar  with  English  and  Ameri- 
can literature.  Such  books  as  the  lives  of  Edmund 
Burke,  Byron,  and  Byron's  associate,  Shelley, 
Hampden,  Washington,  Lee,  Jefferson,  with  the 
speeches  of  Burke,  Hastings,  Webster,  and  other 
orators,  Macaulay's  Essays,  Junius's  Letters,  and 
kindred  works,  he  studied  carefully,  almost  as  care- 
fully as  he  did  Shakespeare  and  Burns  ;  History  and 
Travels,  and  miscellaneous  volumes,  he  read  rap- 
idly.    He  could  read  very  rapidly  when  he  pleased, 


IN  THE  LhCTURE-FIELD. 


379 


and  possessed  remarkable  tact  for  gleaning  from 
books  whatever  was  valuable  to  him,  and  discarding 
all  else.  His  mind  was  not  only  active  but  discrimi- 
nating, and  he  would  get  as  much  information  for 
future  use  out  of  a  valuable  daily  paper  as  many 
readers  do  out  of  a  libraiy. 

He  w^as  wont  to  converse  about  subjects  connected 
with  his  readinor,  and  often  related  the  substance  of 
a  conversation  that  he  had  with  Daniel  Webster 
about  Burke  and  reading  character.  The  doctor 
opened  the  subject  by  speaking  to  Webster  of  his 
reply  to  Hayne,  commenting  upon  the  language  as 
strongly  Saxon.  Mr.  Webster  replied :  "  If  you 
want  to  think  in  brass  and  speak  in  iron,  study 
Burke.  He  has  made  men  his  study.  If  you  want 
to  study  men  as  individuals,  read  Shakespeare ;  but 
to  know  how  to  govern  men  in  masses  —  to  study 
them — read  Burke.  Why,"  he  continued,  "  Burke 
wrote  a  better  history  of  the  French  revolution  be- 
fore it  took  place  than  was  written  afterwards." 

The  idea  was  directly  in  the  line  of  the  doctor's 
practice,  impressing  him  all  the  more  on  that  ac- 
count. 

That  such  a  habit  of  reading  contributed  largely 
to  the  doctor's  ability  in  the  lecture-field,  both  as 
speaker  and  writer,  is  quite  obvious.  It  served  to 
invest  his  speech  and  composition  with  dignity, 
even  where  wit  made  them  lively.  His  eminently 
philosophical  and  practical  style  of  speaking  and 
writing  derived  some  of  its  attractiveness  from  this 
source.     Even  a  story,  by  his  manner  of  telling  it. 


380  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

acquired  the  character  of  instruction  and  argu- 
ment. 

He  wielded  an  able  pen,  and  was  thoroughly  con- 
vinced that  voice  and  pen  together  were  indispensa- 
ble in  his  work.  Whatever  he  wrote  was  sure  to 
be  read,  as  whenever  he  spoke  he  was  sure  to  be 
listened  to  with  close  attention.  Some  of  his  best 
articles  for  the  press  were  dashed  off  at  a  single  sit- 
ting, when  his  soul  was  all  on  fire  with  his  theme ; 
and  some  of  the  most  telling  speeches  he  ever  made 
were  extemporaneous  —  uttered  when  he  was  so 
full  of  thought  and  emotion  that  he  must  speak  or 
do  violence  to  his  nature.  Hon.  Neal  Dow  says, 
that  Dr.  Jewett  delivered  the  best  address  that  he 
ever  heard,  on  either  side  of  the  Atlantic,  at  a  tem- 
perance convention  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  that  it 
was  wholly  extemporaneous.  The  reason  is  found, 
not  only  in  the  fact  that  he  was  ready,  quick-witted, 
and  prompt  by  nature,  but  also  that  his  mind  was 
thoroughly  furnished  with  material,  well  digested 
and  classified,  for  just  such  an  occasion. 

There  is  but  one  testimony  on  this  subject.  We 
must  content  ourselves,  however,  with  only  a  few 
testimonials  of  the  many  at  hand. 

The  celebrated  pulpit  orator  of  Brooklyn  writes  : 

"  Saratoga  Springs,  July  19,  1S79. 
"  My  dear  Brother  :  I  heartily  wish  that  it  were  in 
my  power  to  make  some  valuable  contribution  to  your 
biography  of  our  glorious,  and  now  glorified  friend,  Dr. 
Jewett.  It  was  more  than  an  admiration  for  a  brave 
and  sagacious  reformer  that  I  have  long  felt  for  him ;  I 


IN  THE  LECTURE-FIELD.  381 

thoroughly  loved  him.  In  one  of  the  best  pieces  of  man- 
hood which  our  Heavenly  Father  made  in  those  days,  He 
placed  a  noble,  tender,  unselfish  heart.  Divine  grace  mel- 
lowed and  sweetened  a  character  which  might  otherwise 
have  been  rather  rugged  ;  and  there  was  a  poetic  element 
which  beautified  it  as  I  saw  the  laurel  blossoms  lio-htinsr 
up  the  rocks  and  forests  of  the  Shawanyunk  Mountains  a 
few  days  since. 

"I  first  met  Dr.  Jewett  in  Trenton,  N.J.,  about  the  year 
1852.  He  attended  one  of  our  state  conventions  in  com- 
pany with  our  friend,  Neal  Dow.  I  never  shall  forget  the 
flash  of  that  eye,  or  the  keen  thrusts  of  the  scimitar  which 
he  wielded  in  that  speech  ;  it  pierced  to  the  joints  and  the 
marrow.  When  our  Lafayette  Avenue  Church  Temper- 
ance Society  was  organized,  he  came  on  and  spoke  sev- 
eral times  to  large  and  enthusiastic  audiences.  We  have 
had  all  the  most  eminent  advocates  of  our  reform  in  that 
pulpit,  with  one  or  two  exceptions  ;  but  the  best  educating 
work  was  done  by  Jewett's  clear  brain  and  masterly  expo- 
sitions. He  was  never  dry  or  tedious.  At  the  end  of  his 
keen  sentences  there  often  came  that  merry  sound  which 
was  something  between  a  laugh  and  a  '  chirrup,*  and  it 
always  put  his  audience  into  a  lively  humor.  At  my 
house  he  was  the  delight  of  the  family.  How  he  used  to 
pour  forth  his  favorite  passages  from  Robert  Burns,  whose 
best  poetry  he  knew  by  heart !  His  stores  of  anecdotes 
were  large  and  racy;  they  were  his  own,  and  the  man 
who  stole  them  was  easily  detectefl  in  the  larceny.  As  a 
contributor  of  original  thought  to  the  temperance  move- 
ment the  doctor  stood  first.  On  the  medical  aspects  of  the 
question,  and  that  of  a  permanent  pecuniary  basis,  he 
spent  his  chief  strength.  Other  men  made  the  temper- 
ance reform  a  matter  of  occasional  thought  and  effort. 
But  he  studied  it,  prayed  over  it,  lived  for  it ;  it  was  the 


382  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

very  core  and  fibre  of  his  whole  existence.  I  doubt  if  he 
ever  spent  an  hour  without  having  this  great  master-pur- 
pose of  his  WiQ  in  his  mind.  Grand  old  'Great-Heart'! 
Wliat  blows  he  struck!  What  sparks  of  bright  kindling 
thought  flashed  from  every  stroke !  How  nobly  he  gave 
himself  to  the  holy  cause,  ever  crying  out  'this  one  thing 
I  do!'  How  completely  he  finished  up  his  work,  and 
what  a  crown  hung  over  his  dying  head !  Whomever 
else  I  may  see  in  heaven,  I  shall  be  sure  to  look  for 
my  valiant  and  beloved  '  companion  in  arms,'  Charles 
Jewett.  Would  that  I  could  put  upon  paper  all  that 
Hv^s  in  my  heart  about  him.     Yours  teetotally, 

*'  Theodore  L.  Cuyler." 

Just  before  John  B.  Cough  left  for  Europe,  in 
1878,  he  inaugurated  a  movement  to  raise  a  testimo- 
nial fund  for  Dr.  Jewett,  and  addressed  to  him  a  let- 
ter, from  which  the  following  extract  is  made : 

*'  We  [himself  and  wife]  have  often  spoken  of  you,  and 
wish  we  could  see  you  before  we  leave.  What  a  grand 
work  you  have  been  permitted  to  accomplish  for  temper- 
ance !  Long  before  I  knew  or  cared  anything  for  the 
great  principle,  you  were  at  work,  and  had  been  since 
1826.  Many  of  us  have  reaped  in  fields  you  have  sown, 
and  I  wish  you  to  understand  that  there  is  one  who  fully 
appreciates  the  great  work  you  have  done.  I  am  glad  to 
know  that  you  are  able  to-day  to  deal  such  vigorous  blows 
against  the  old  enemy,  and  I  trust  that  for  years  your 
bow  may  abide  in  strength.  .  .  .  May  God  bless  you  and 
yours,  and  bring  to  you  in  rich  profusion  the  blessing  and 
the  peace  and  prosperity  that  you  have  been  instrumental 
in  procuring  for  others." 

Hon.  Neal  Dow  once  wrote  of  him  : 


IN  THE  LECTURE-FIELD. 


3«3 


*'  I  do  not  know  where  or  when  we  first  met,  but  my 
frequent  intercourse  with  him  is  among  the  green  spots  in 
my  memory.  I  honor  him  for  his  unselfishness,  his  indom- 
itable perseverance,  his  great  courage  —  moral  as  well 
as  physical  —  and  a  heart  tenderly  alive  to  the  woes  of 
his  fellow-men,  and  for  the  great  ability  with  which  he 
has  played  his  part  in  the  long  and  painful  struggle  to 
exterminate  the  traffic  in  strong  drink.  He  is  thoroughly 
sound  on  every  question  relating  to  the  causes  and  cure  of 
that  hideous  national  sin  and  crime,  Intemperance.  We 
have  not  in  all  the  country  another  temperance  speaker 
who  addresses  himself  as  he  does  to  the  understanding, 
heart,  and  conscience  of  his  hearers.'* 

Twenty  years  ago  Lucius  M.  Sargent,  author  of 
the  "  Temperance  Tales,"  wrote  in  the  Boston  Even- 
ing Transcript,  as  follow-s  : 

"  We  trust  that,  without  disparagement  of  any  othei 
man's  labors  and  successes,  we  have  done  rightly  in  plac- 
ing the  name  of  Dr.  Jewett  and  Mr.  Gough  at  the  head 
of  the  present  article,  and  recognizing  the  inestimable  ser- 
vices which  they  have  rendered  in  their  friendly  warfare 
against  man,  to  save  him  from  himself.  Between  these 
able  advocates  the  difference  is  very  striking ;  and  each, 
in  his  own  way,  appears  to  us,  compared  with  all  others, 
to  hQ  facile  princeps  (easily  the  chief).  Dr.  Jewett  is  a 
man  of  education,  a  physician,  and  a  scholar.  We  have 
been  familiar  with  his  effective  labors  in  this  holy  cause 
for  thirty  years.  .  .  .  Though  his  addresses  are  descrip- 
tive and  full  of  pathos,  humor,  sarcasm,  and  powerful  ex- 
hortation, he  is  a  lecturer  in  the  scientific  sense  of  that 
word." 


384  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

Miss  Julia  Colman,  the  distinguished  writer  and 
authoress,  says  : 

"  Dr.  Jevvett  was  the  providential  instrument  of  great 
good  to  me.  I  had  seen  enough  of  the  evils  of  drink  to 
make  me  abhor  and  grieve  over  them,  but  I  could  find,  in 
all  the  usual  modes  of  temperance  work,  nothing  that 
seemed  to  me  adequate  to  the  emergency,  nothing  that 
probed  the  difficulty  and  promised  success.  If  alcohol 
was  a  good  creature  of  God,  good  in  its  place,  and  yet  in 
that  place  continually  ensnaring  men  to  their  destruction, 
what  could  be  done  ?  ....  At  this  crisis  I  came  across 
the  report  of  an  address  by  Dr.  Jewett,  describing  the 
origin  of  alcohol,  detailing  its  effects,  and  giving  an  im- 
pression of  its  utter  worthlessness.  It  just  met  my  wants. 
God  had  not  made  alcohol,  and  it  was  not  necessary  to 
the  well-being  of  man.  From  that  time,  whatever  I  could 
find  from  Dr.  Jewett's  pen  was  perused  with  profit.  .  .  . 
When  he  afterwards  delivered  a  course  of  lectures  in  the 
Clinton  Avenue  Congregational  Church,  Brooklyn,  (to  an 
audience  of  women  engaged  in  the  crusade,)  I  drank  in 
every  word.  He  was  so  lucid  and  simple  that  the  dullest 
could  comprehend,  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  his  ideas 
ought  to  set  people  to  work  everywhere.  .  .  .  Some  years 
subsequent  to  the  above  series  of  lectures,  he  addressed  a 
crowded  audience  in  Brooklyn,  giving  practical  instructions 
and  answering  inquiries  about  the  medical  aspects  of  the 
question,  when  some  one  asked,  What  tonic  could  be  given 
to  a  convalescent  instead  of  wine?  He  showed  that  the 
great  need  of  the  patient  was  for  air,  gentle  exercise,,  and 
simple  and  wholesome  diet,  with  all  gentle  ministrations 
and  hygienic  surroundings ;  and  especially  that  the  food 
should  be  given  by  whomever  the  patient  loved  best ;  for 
*  Love  is  better  than  wine.*     The  idea,  and  its  presenta- 


IN  THE  LECTURE-FIELD. 


385 


tion  in  a  Scripture  quotation  to  such  a  body  of  intelligent 
Christian  women,  was  extremely  happy,  and  made  a  deep 
impression.  I  never  heard  him  without  profit,  nor  read 
his  writings  without  advantage."  * 

The  following  are  some  of  the  subjects  upon 
which  he  lectured : 

"  Alcohol  a  Cerebral  Poison." 

"  Alcohol  a  Narcotic." 

"  Alcohol  and  the  Eliminating  Organs." 

"  Three  Stages  of  Drunkenness — Excitement,  Bewilder- 
ment, and  Narcotism." 

"Alcohol  condemned  alike  by  Scripture  and  Science." 

"  The  Law  and  Tendencies  of  Artificial  Appetites." 

"  The  Warfare  of  the  Liquor  Trade  on  all  Useful  Trades 
and  Occupations." 

"  Characteristics  of  Intemperance  ;  seen  in  its  Effects  on 
Communities,  States,  and  Nations." 

"  Intemperance  as  a  Vice  of  Individual  Man." 

"  Prospective  Results  of  the  Traffic  in  Intoxicating 
Liquors." 

''Instrumentalities  for  Removing  the  Curse  of  Intem- 
perance." 

*'  Intemperance  the  Giant  Curse  of  the  World  and  the 
Master  Vice  of  Man,  and  why  it  is  so." 

"  Harmony  of  the  Divine  Word  with  the  Teachings  of 
Science,  relative  to  the  Effect  of  Wine  on  Human  Life  and 
Welfare." 

"  An  Argument  against  the  Use  of  Alcoholic  Liquors, 

» 

*  From  a  large  number  of  valuable  letters  from  friends,  and 
tributes  by  the  journals  of  the  country,  we  designed  to  select  and 
publish  several  pages,  but  material  has  accumulated  to  such  an 
extent  that  we  are  compelled  to  omit  them. 

25 


386  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 


drawn    from    their   Origii*    and    their    Chemical    Rela- 
tions." 

"  What  Views  of  Intoxicating  Liquors  and  their  Rela- 
tion to  Human  Welfare  did  the  Spirit  of  God  communi- 
cate to  the  Minds  of  the  Prophets? " 
"  Alcohol  a  Non-nutritious  Element.'* 
*'  Why  Intemperance  is  the  most  Destructive  Vice." 
"  Alcoholic  Enslavement :  its  Philosophy." 
"  Alcohol  as  a  Stimulant." 

"  The  Law  of  Increase  in  the  Use  of  Narcotics." 
"  Total  Abstinence,  and  its  Benefits." 
*'  Alcohol  in  Medical  Practice." 

"Means  of  carrying  forward  the  Temperance  Cause  to 
a  Complete  Victory." 

"  Popular  Errors  relating  to  Intemperance." 

"  Incidental  Supports  of  the  Liquor  Traffic." 

"  The  Literature  of  the  Temperance  Cause." 

"  Obstacles  to  the  Progress  of  the  Temperance  Reform." 

The  following  briefs  of  addresses,  as  reported  by 
the  press,  will  show,  next  to  quoting  the  addresses 
entire,  his  originality,  directness,  and  sound  logic : 

"  Why  our  Work  is  Difficult." 

1 .  Apathy  to  the  appalling  evils  of  intemperance,  owing 
to  the  fact  that  the  mind  grows  callous  to  the  view  of  un- 
relieved suffering. 

2.  That  excessive  drinking  changes  the  structure  of  the 
drunkard's  brain,  so  as  to  make  his  reform  difficult. 

3.  The  world  is  in  a  state  of  revolt  and  unrest:  the 
devil  keeps  it  satisfied  by  narcotics. 


IN  THE  LECTURE-FIELD.  387 

Lecture  Preliminary  to  a  Course  of  Eight 

Lectures. 

1.  The  need  of  iisinj^  every  means  of  temperance  edu- 
cation, especially  tlie  press. 

2.  Observation  not  enough  ;  the  world  must  study. 

3.  God  works  through  us,  else  prayer  would  be  the 
best  excuse  for  laziness. 

4.  Tillage  in  nature  means  continual  warfare  against 
weeds,  thorns,  and  thisdes ;  so  in  this  moral  reform,  grog- 
shops do  not  need  protection  or  cultivation. 

5.  Public  opinion  must  be  revolutionized:  and  such  is 
the  case  in  most  of  the  New  England  states.  Compar- 
atively few  people  now  offer  liquors  to  every  visitor. 

6.  Why  drink  to  the  President  any  more  than  cat  a 
breakfast  to  the  President.?  Because  conscience  needs  the 
peg  of  patriotism  to  hang  the  drinking  custom  on.  The 
custom  needs  bolstering,  and  so  people  get  others  to  drink 
with  them. 

7.  Liquor  saves  tissue;  yes,  but  how?  Thus:  all  ac- 
tion, whether  "of  brain  or  muscle,  destroys  tissue,  and  when 
a  fellow  gets  muddled  with  alcohol,  there  is  not  much 
destruction  of  tissue." 

Harmony  of  the  Bible  and  Science. 

1.  As  to  the  origin  of  the  mischievous  agent,  and  the 
point  at  which  danger  commences. 

2.  As  to  the  specific  relation  of  the  dangerous  agent 
to  the  human  constitution.  Science  declares,  and  the  Bible 
clearly  indicates,  that  alcohol  is  a  Brain  Poison. 

3.  As  to  the  relation  of  the  habit  of  drinking  intox- 
icating liquors  to  other  vices. 

4.  As  to  the  measure  of  perso7zal  peril  to  which  the 
drunkard  exposes  himself. 

5.  As  to  the  influence  of  wine-drinking  customs  among 


388  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT, 

the  people  to  produce  drunkenness,  and  seriously  to  im- 
peril all  public  interests. 

6.  As  to  the  point  at  which  we  are  to  commence  our 
resistance  to  the  influence  of  the  dangerous  agent. 

7.  As  to  their  estimate  of  abstinence  as  a  principle  or 
practice. 

Obstacles  to  the  Temperance  Reform. 

1.  Its  fundamental  truths  are  not  understood. 

2.  It  has  no  financial  basis  on  which  it  rests. 

3.  The  strength  of  the  liquor  traffic  is  overrated,  for  it 
is  founded  on  lies. 

4.  A  want  of  self-sacrifice  among  temperance  men. 

5.  Parents  cannot  believe  that  there  is  any  danger  to 
their  children,  and  so  do  not  teach  them. 

Peculiarities  of  Intemperance. 

1.  In  its  origin. 

2.  In  its  universality. 

3.  In  its  destruction  of  all  good. 

4.  In  destroying  the  power  to  produce. 

5.  No  mitigating  circumstances  to  afford  consolation. 

6.  Its  constant  operation. 

Props  of  the  Liquor  Traffic. 

1.  Secrecy. 

2.  Falsehood. 

3.  The  Entire  Devotion  of  the  Liquor-Dealer's  Political 
Power  to  support  the  Traffic. 

4.  The  Influence  of  Fear  in  our  Camp. 

Intemperance  a  Vice  of  Individual  Man. 

I.    It  adapts  itself,  as  no  other  vice,  to  both  sexes,  all 
ages,  classes,  and  conditions  of  men. 


IN  THE  LECTURE-FIELD.  389 


2.  It  seizes  upon  uU  occasions,  sacred,  social,  and  patri- 
otic, joyful  and  afflictive,  and  turns  them  to  its  own 
account. 

3.  It  crushes  all  the  powers,  faculties,  affections,  inter- 
ests, and  hopes  of  individual  man,  unlike  most  other  vices. 

4.  It  is  the  pioneer  of  other  vices. 

A  Temperance  Sermon. 
"  ^By  their  fruits  ye  shall  knoiv  them'  —  Matt.  vii.  20. 

"  Looking  at  the  liquor  traffic,  what  are  some  of  its 
huits? 

'^  I.    What  fruit  has  it  borne  to  the  individual? 

"  2.  What  fruit  has  it  borne  to  the  manufacturing  and 
agricultural  interests? 

"  3.    What  fruit  has  it  borne  to  the  family.^ 

"4.    What  fruit  has  it  borne  to  the  state? 

"  5.    What  fruit  has  it  borne  to  the  church? 

"  And  there  is  no  help.  The  evil  cannot  be  regulated. 
The  business  itself  is  an  irregularity,  and  you  cannot  reg- 
ulate an  irregularity.  You  must  extirpate  it  —  annihi- 
late it.  *  Every  tree  that  bringeth  not  forth  good  fruit  is 
hc-Jtjn  down^  and  cast  into  the  fire.* " 

We  have  no  recent  lecture  of  Dr.  Jewett  written 
or  published,  for  he  did  not  commit  one  to  writing 
during  the  last  thirty  years  of  his  life.  The  subjects, 
skeletons,  and  characteristic  extracts  from  reports, 
lectures,  and  newspaper  articles,  however,  will  give 
the  reader  a  good  idea  of  Dr.  Jew^ett  in  the  lecture- 
field. 

Brief  extracts  from  the  doctor's  speeches  and  writ- 
ings will  confirm  the  statements  quoted  from  indi- 
viduals and  the  press. 


390  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT, 

Pi-DASURE  IN  Reform  Work. 
"  It  is  one  of  the  felicities  of  a  life  devoted  to  some 
grand  reform  movement,  that  it  brings  one  in  contact  with 
the  best  spirits  of  the  time  and  countr}-,  and  secures,  even 
to  a  plain  man,  ennobling  friendships.  Had  I  been 
worldlj^-wise,  stuck  to  my  profession,  looked  out  for  the 
'main  chance,*  and  turned  all  my  energies  in  that  direc- 
tion, I  might,  perhaps,  have  acquired  wealth  ;  but  I  would 
not  exchange  the  memories  of  the  last  forty  years,  devoted 
to  the  temperance  reform,  for  a  good  many  shares  of  bank 
or  railroad  stocks.  Now,  I  can  call  around  me,  by  the 
aid  of  memory  and  a  little  imagination,  a  host  of  the  good 
and  true,  with  whom  my  work  has  made  me  acquainted. 
I  see  them  even  with  closed  eyes.  They  come  trooping 
at  my  call  from  all  parts  of  the  compass.  I  am  charmed 
with  their  shadowy  presence,  until,  possessed  by  the  illu- 
sion, I  am  almost  ready  to  rise  and  exclaim,  '  Mr.  Presi- 
dent, and  Gentlemen  of  the  Convention  ! '  *' 

Intemperance  destroys  the  Producing  Power. 

''If  I  with  a  hammer  should  break  the  lamp  before  me, 
j'ou  would  say  it  was  a  wrong  act.  I  have  destroyed  an 
object  of  interest  as  well  as  of  use.  There  is  the  history 
of  the  world  in  that  lamp.  Noah  did  not  light  the  ark 
with  lamps  constructed  like  this.  The  means  employed 
by  the  patriarchs  to  give  light  w^hen  the  sun  had  gone  to 
bed,  were,  I  suppose,  quite  rude  in  comparison  with  this. 
Each  generation  added  something  to  the  facilities  for  pro- 
ducing light,  and  so  on,  age  after  age,  until  we  have  such 
as  this  before  me.  Hence  the  lamp  before  us  affords 
other  matter  for  reflection  besides  the  light  it  furnishes. 
It  were  surely  a  wicked  act'  to  destroy,  wantonly,  an  ob- 
ject of  so  much  interest  and,  at  the  same  time,  so  useful. 
But,  sir,  when   you    have   crippled   the   intellect   which 


IN  THE  LECTURE-FIELD, 


391 


planned  that  piece  of  mechanism,  and  palsied  the  hand 
that  fashioned  it,  you  have  done  a  most  foul  and  ac- 
cursed deed,  which  neither  men  ncr  angels  can  repair. 
And  that  is  what  alcohol  does." 

No  Alcohol  in  Nature. 
"  People  vainly  suppose  that  alcohol  strengthens  and 
supports.  Nutritious  articles  are  the  product  of  nature 
alone.  We  can  take  sugar,  for  instance,  and  resolve  it  into 
its  three  elements,  oxygen,  hydrogen,  and  carbon  ;  but  all 
the  chemists  in  the  world  cannot  take  these  three  and 
make  sugar.  The  sugar-cane,  the  sorghum,  the  beet,  and 
our  maple  trees  can  do  it,  but  man  cannot.  The  vegeta- 
ble and  animal  world  growing  (composing),  produces 
substances  nutritious  for  man.  Alcohol  is  not  produced 
by  composing  matter  in  any  instance  in  creation,  but  by 
decomposing  matter  entirely.  Sugar  putrefying  makes 
alcohol.  Alcohol  is  a  stage  in  the  process  of  decay  and 
death.  It  putrefies  humanity,  physically  (as  many  a 
bloated  form  testifies),  socially,  and  morally." 

Ladies,  Beware  ! 
"  The  signs  of  a  drinker  remind  me  of  a  vessel  that  has 
sprung  a  leak  and  hoisted  a  flag  of  distress  at  sea.  The 
water  increases,  the  pumps  are  choked,  and  all  despair; 
yet  the  flag  still  waves.  Just  so  when  the  system  springs 
a  leak  at  the  mouth,  the  word  is,  '  All  hands  to  the 
pumps!'  and  the  flag  of  distress  is  hung  out  upon  the 
nose.  The  eyelids  also  look  as  though  they  were  bound 
with  red  ribbon.  Ladies,  when  you  see  a  young  man 
bearing  these  signs,  beware  !  " 

Alcoholic  Medication  covers  Disease. 
"  It  was  remarked  by  Miller,  the  great  surgeon  of  Edin- 
burgh, '  Alcohol  cures  nothing,  but  it  covers  up  a  great 


392  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

deal/  It  is  ilU;Strated  by  the  trick  of  the  jockey,  who  has 
a  foundered  horse  to  sell.  The  purchaser  is  coming  on 
the  morrow,  and  to-night  he  takes  a  knife  and  adroitly 
severs  the  nerves  of  sensation  just  below  the  fetlock.  The 
horse  in  the  morning  travels  without  any  show  of  lame- 
ness. But  is  he  cured?  No:  the  founder  is  covered  up. 
The  sundered  nerves  do  not  telegraph  the  disease  to  the 
brain.  The  telegraphic  wire  is  cut.  The  founder  is 
there  the  same  as  ever.  So  the  patient  who  submits  to 
alcoholic  medication  has  his  disease  covered  up.  His 
nerves  of  sensation  are  blunted  and  refuse  to  carry  any 
intelligence  to  the  brain.  The  man  or  woman  is  deceived  ; 
and  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  often  the  physician,  either  con- 
sciously or  immorally,  is  a  party  to  the  deception." 

Intemperance  is  Constant. 

"War  blows  his  bloody  trump,  and  dire  alarms 
Convulse  the  earth,  while  nations  rush  to  arms  ; 
Earth's  lap  is  with  her  bleeding  children  pressed, 
Each  with  his  bayonet  in  his  brother's  breast." 

"  And  were  the  terrible  scourge  to  continue  its  ravages 
without  intermission  for  centuries,  the  earth  would  be 
unpeopled.  But  war  ceases.  The  industrial  pursuits  of 
life,  the  public  morals,  education,  the  arts  and  sciences, 
and  in  short  all  the  interests  of  humanity,  have  time  to 
recover,  in  part  at  least,  before  the  evil  is  repeated.  Pes- 
tilence is  not  always  sowing  the  air  with  the  seeds  of 
death.  Frost,  drought,  famine,  fire,  and  storms  execute 
their  messages  of  wrath,  and  then  for  a  season  bid  us 
farewell.  Not  so,  however,  with  intemperance.  Its  work 
of  death  goes  steadily  on,  winter  and  summer,  by  night 
and  by  day,  in  seasons  of  plenty  and  when  famine  stalks 
abroad.  If,  like  war  or  pestilence,  it  would  occasionally 
afford  the  suffering  earth  a  little  respite,  men  would  have 


IN  THE  LECTURE-FIELD. 


393 


an  opportunity  to  contrast  their  condition  during  such 
periods  with  their  condition  during  its  visitations;  and 
their  eyes  would  be  opened.  But  no  such  respite  is  af- 
forded." 

Universality  of  Intemperance. 

''  Storms  may  baffle  the  skill  or  defy  the  power  of  our 
seamen,  and  make  sad  havoc  with  our  commerce;  but 
while  the  noble  ship  is  going  to  pieces  on  the  rocks  of 
our  hard  New  England  coast,  and  men  and  merchandise 
are  by  every  surge  consigned  to  destruction,  the  good 
people,  ten  miles  in  the  interior,  are,  it  may  be,  sleeping 
in  safety  in  their  beds,  or  pursumg,  without  interruption, 
their  ordinary  avocations.  The  storm  does  not  assail  their 
immediate  interests,  nor  threaten  their  lives.  But  this 
curse  of  intemperance  scatters  its  wrecks  as  well  over 
the  interior  as  on  the  coast, ^* 

Removal  of  Intemperance  Possible. 
"  If  a  man  can  make  a  copper  kettle  for  vSatan,  and  set 
it  boiling,  I  can  dash  cold  water  on  the  fire,  and  with  a 
sledge-hammer  break  the  kettle  in  pieces.  '  But  such  a 
course  would  be  contrary  to  law.'  Then  legalize  it  by 
your  will  and  votes,  and  make  me  sheriff  of  the  county, 
and,  God  helping  me,  it  shall  be  done.  Muscles  and 
sledge-hammers  were  never  better  employed  than  they 
would  be  in  demolishing  those  accursed  structures  which, 
swallowing  up,  as  they  do,  immense  quantities  of  fuel  and 
the  fruits  of  the  earth,  while  thousands  lack  for  fire  and 
bread,  sent  out  in  turn  a  ceaseless  torrent  of  disease  and 
death  upon  a  suffering  world.  If  men  can  erect  a  grog- 
shop in  one  of  our  beautiful  villages,  fill  it  with  the  mate- 
rials of  mischief,  call  about  them  the  reckless  and  the 
vile,  and  set  to  work  to  ruin  our  youth  and  curse  all  the 


394  ^^^^   ^^  CHARLES  JEWETT, 

interests  of  societ}^  —  why  may  not  the  strong  hands  of 
the  sober  and  moral  portion  of  that  commimity  empty  the 
vile  concern  of  its  inmates  and  contents,  and  bar  its  doors 
against  their  return  ?  '  Why,  it  would  be  contrary  to  law  ! ' 
Then  amend  your  laws,  and  let  their  sanction  be  given  to 
such  a  righteous  work." 

Prohibit  the  Traffic. 

"  You  know  that  in  a  bowling-alley  there  are  two  par- 
ties—  one  who  make  it  their  business  to  bowl  down  the 
pins,  while  the  other  picks  them  up  and  arranges  them 
again  on  the  alley.  While  the  boy  is  picking  up  the  pins, 
you  will  often  jiear  the  other  party  uttering  the  language 
of  encouragement  and  commendation  — '  That  is  right, 
my  little  fellow!  Pick  them  up,  my  brave  boy  !  '  &c. ; 
and  occasionally  they  will  toss  him  a  penny  or  two  to 
encourage  him.  What  does  all  this  mean?  Do  they  ad- 
mire the  arrangement  of  the  pins,  and  will  they  allow 
them  to  stand  thus?  By  no  means.  They  have  bowled 
them  down  repeatedly,  and  intend  to  bowl  them  down 
again.  Thus  it  is  with  rumsellers.  While  we  are  con- 
tent to  pursue  the  course  recommended  by  some,  and  con- 
fine our  efforts  to  the  lifting  up  of  those  whom  their 
accursed  traffic  has  bowled  down,  even  the  rumsellers 
will  pay  us  a  compliment  —  'There,  now;  that  is  true 
temperance  ! '  at  the  same  time  meaning  to  bowl  them 
down  again.  Sir,  I  am  willing  to  join  my  fellow-citizens 
in  further  efforts  to  rescue  the  fallen  ;  but  I  ask  them  in 
turn  to  join  me  in  saying  to  these  unprincipled  men, 
'  Roll  again  at  your  peril ! '  " 

Alcohol  a  Deceiver. 

"  You  understand,  doubtless,  that  alcohol  is  always  the 
product  of  decay.     Obtam  it  from  whatever  source  you 


IN  THE  LECTURE-FIELD. 


395 


may,  the  death  of  the  vegetable  from  which  you  obtain  it 
must  precede  its  formation  or  extraction.  Vitahty  cannot 
co-exist  with  it.  No  vegetable  contains  it  while  its  life 
continues;  but  when  all  vitality  is  extinct,  then  fermenta- 
tion takes  place,  and  alcohol  is  the  first  product  of  the 
process  of  decay.  Now,  in  all  its  influence  on  society 
and  man,  alcohol  seems  to  retain  this  character  of  incom- 
patibility with  the  principle  of  vitality.  Death  must  pre^ 
cede  its  march,  and  tread  closely  on  its  heels.  Yet,  while 
it  is  doing  the  work  of  death,  it  promises  a7td  coujtter" 
feits  lifer 

RUMSELLERS. 

"  It  is  very  amusing  to  see  the  rumsellers  laboring  so 
industriously  to  place  themselves  in  the  attitude  of  perse- 
cuted individuals,  and  almost  enough  to  draw  tears  from 
gi^anite  to  listen  to  their  pathetic  appeals  for  public  sym- 
pathy. The  language  of  a  distinguished  comic  poet  of 
England  would  not  be  out  of  place  in  their  mouths,  — 

'  Pity  the  lifted  whites  of  both  my  eyes,' 

"Sir,  the  traffickers  in  intoxicating  drinks  are  the  last  men 
who  ought  to  complain  of  persecution.  They  live,  not  by 
a  legitimate  business  which  returns  to  society  an  equiva- 
lent for  the  goods  or  money  they  extract  from  it  and  em- 
ploy for  the  sustenance  of  their  useless  lives,  but,  on  the 
contrary,  as  they  grow  rich,  others  around  them,  to  a  still 
greater  extent,  must  grow  poor  ;  for  the  article  with  wliich 
they  supply  their  customers  not  only  does  them  no  good, 
but  positive  evil,  unfitting  them  for  the  discharge  of  their 
duties  to  God,  their  families,  and  society  at  large.  As 
a  poisonous  mu<;hroom  grows  most  luxuriantly  when  it 
sprouts  from   a   heap  of  decaying  vegetables,  so   a  rum- 


396  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

seller  fattens  and  thrives  in  exact  proportion  to  the  decay 
and  rottenness  of  society  around  him." 

The  Eliminating  Organs  expel  Alcohol. 

"  When  you  inhale  the  strong  odor  of  liquor  from  a  man 
who  has  been  drinkino^,  it  is  because  his  eliminatinor  or- 
gans  are  at  work.  His  lungs  are  throwing  off  its  vapor. 
.  .  .  Drinking  men  know  how  to  treat  a  companion  who 
is  drunk.  They  don't  know  the  philosophy  of  it,  but  they 
know  the  fact  that  it  is  necessary  to  get  him  in  an  upright 
position  and  then  give  him  exercise.  By  doing  this  the 
blood  will  gravitate  from  instead  of  to  the  brain,  and  the 
exercise  will  increase  the  activity  of  the  lungs  so  that  the 
vapor  of  the  liquor  will  more  rapidly  pass  off.  The  poor 
fellow  may  object  —  may  talk  about  his  '  cons-tu'sh'nal 
right,  yer  know,'  and  may  choose  to  He  down  in  his 
drunken  stupor  like  an  '  ind-pend't  cit'zen  of  this  free 
country,  yer  know  ; '  but  his  companions  '  train  '  him,  and 
by  and  by  he  gets  sober,  because  the  eli  mi  native  organs 
have  been  set  actively  at  work  and  have  performed  their 
office." 

Secrecy  of  the  Liquor  Traffic. 

"  Our  opponents  have  sought  to  hang  an  impenetrable 
veil  around  those  establishments  where  factitious  wines 
and  adulterated  liquors  are  prepared,  with  which  the 
mass  of  liquors  are  both  imposed  upon  and  poisoned 
Enough,  however,  has  been  learned  of  those  liquors,  and 
the  destructive  and  disgusting  materials  employed  in  their 
manufacture,  to  associate  them  forever  in  the  minds  of 
those  who  have  investigated  the  subject,  with  the  delicate 
compound  prepared  by  Macbeth's  witches,  some  of  the 
precious  ingredients  of  which  were,  as  enumerated  by  the 
second  witch,  — 


TN   THE  LECTURE-FIELD. 


397 


*  Fillet  of  a  fenny  snake, 
In  tlie  caldron  boil  and  bake  ; 
Eye  of  newt,  and  toe  of  frog, 
Wool  of  bat,  and  tongue  of  dog, 
Adder's  fork,  and  blindworm's  sting, 
Lizzard's  leg,  and  owlet's  wing,  — 
For  a  charm  of  powerful  trouble, 
Like  a  hell-broth  boil  and  bubble.'  " 

Logic  of  Facts. 

"  Array  these  facts  on  paper,  and  put  a  copy  into  every 
family,  until  they  shall  be  made  to  reflect,  to  feel  —  ay, 
and  to  speak  —  until  they  shall  be  prompted  to  exclaim 
with  the  poet,  — 

'  Shall  tongues  be  mute  when  deeds  are  wrought 
Which  well  might  shame  extremest  hell  ? 

Shall  freeman  lock  the  indignant  thought  ? 
Shall  mercy's  bosom  cease  to  swell? 

Shall  honor  bleed  ?     Shall  truth  succumb  ? 

Shall  pen,  and  press,  and  soul  be  dumb  ?  ' 

**  Let  the  enemy  talk  of  constitutions  and  inalienable 
rights  and  free  trade^  to  the  end  of  the  chapter  ;  but  let 
us  talk  of  Facts  —  of  soul-stirring  facts  of  daily  occur- 
rence, and  from  those  facts  reason  out  the  duties  and  obli- 
gations of  those  we  address,  by  plain  and  logical  argu- 
ment. Study  the  subject  in  all  its  relations,  and  make 
yourselves  familiar  with  every  argument  by  which  the 
right  and  the  truth  may  be  sustained,  and  then  grapple 
boldly  with  the  enemies  of  truth.  Join  issue  with  them, 
wherever  they  may  be  met,  —  in  the  public  meeting,  in 
the  columns  of  the  public  journals,  in  the  social  circle,  in 
the  stage-coach,  in  the  rail-car  and  steamboat,  —  and  pi  ay 
God  for  strength  and  victory." 


398  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

Laughable  Side  of  Vice. 

*'  Every  vile  system  and  every  debasing  vice  has  about 
it  certain  points  or  phases  which  render  it  fair  game  for 
ridicule,  and  expose  it  to  the  laugh  of  good  men.  The 
poet,  Pollock,  in  his  '  Coarse  of  Time,'  makes  hypocrisy 
appear  not  only  a  sin  against  God,  but  so  supremely  ridic- 
ulous that  the  spirits  of  even  good  men  cannot  resist  the 
inclination  to  laugh  at  it,  even  before  the  bar  of  final  judg- 
ment. 

*  The  righteous  smiled,  and  even  Despair  itself 
Some  signs  of  laughter  gave.' 

*'  No  wicked  system  that  curses  this  earth  presents  so 
many  ridiculous  aspects  as  that  v\nth  which  we  are  con- 
tending. Think  of  a  human  being  outside  of  an  asylum 
for  idiots,  sucking  a  mint  julep  through  a  straw  !  Think 
for  a  moment  of  distinguished  gentlemen  around  a  public 
table  bobbing  and  bowing  to  each  other  across  it,  and 
drinking  to  the  health  of  '  her  Majesty,*  or  'our  President,* 
or  '  Count  von  Bismarck ! '  Why  not  eat  breakfast  to 
*  her  Majesty '  or  •  our  President '  ?  " 

The  doctor's  reports  to  the  Union  from  the  lecture- 
field,  when  he  was  agent,  were  regarded  as  models. 
He  called  wit,  sarcasm,  logic,  as  well  as  his  famil- 
iarity with  Burns,  Shakespeare,  and  other  poets,  to 
his  aid,  making  his  reports  very  spicy  and  readable  ; 
thus : 

"  A  division  of  the  house  was  called  for,  and  a  separa- 
tion promptly  between  alcohol  and  water,  without  the  aid 
of  retort  or  copper  kettle.  Then  came  the  tug  of  war ! 
No  evasion,  no  concealment  of  sentiments  or  wishes  for 
any  one  who  voted.     What   was   a   man   to   do   who  re* 


IN  THE  LECTURE-FIELD,  39^ 

galled  his  character,  from  whose  soul  the  love  of  rum  or 
the  love  of  pence  had  not  extinguished  all  sense  of  jus- 
tice, all  regard  for  the  prosperity  of  the  town  or  the  wel- 
fare of  its  inhabitants?  Most  fortunately  there  was  a  door 
on  the  side  of  the  house  occupied  by  the  miscalled  liber- 
als. Let  them  devoutly  thank  their  stars  for  once !  To 
the  door  numbers  of  them  rushed  ;  and, 

*  As  bees  buzz  out  wi'  angry  fyke, 
When  plundering  herds  assail  their  byke,' 

'.o  eagerly  rushed  they  out,  glad  to  escape  for  once,  ha\' 
ng  their  own  noses  counted  with  some  others,  about  the 
complexion  of  a  ripe  strawberry.  The  count  gave  fifty 
for  rum,  one  hundred  and  seven  for  water, —  more  than 
two  to  one.  Our  new  friends  and  faithful  allies,  the  Wash- 
ingtonians,  stood  side  by  side  with  the  old  regulars,  and 
together    they   triumphed.     Let  no   one    henceforth  deny 

that  there  is  a  distillery  in ,  one  that  separates  rum 

from  water,  — 

'■  Quicker  by  far  than  some  desire, 
Without  the  aid  of  worm  or  fireJ 

"  As  your  last  journal  contained  no  report  from  me,  and 
as  the  field  of  my  labors  for  the  past  month  has  been  in  a 
part  of  the  state  distant  from  the  metropolis,  I  know  not 
but  you  may  have  come  to  the  conclusion  ere  this  that  I 
had  quit  the  field,  and  given  it  up  entirely  to  our  late  but 
t^fficient  allies.  If  so,  you  are  quite  mistaken  ;  for  I  am 
Vet  '  on  hand  and  to  be  had.'  It  is  not  best  for  all  the  old 
regulars  to  quit  the  field  because  we  have  been  reinforced, 
but  rather  with  renewed  energy  — 

*  Attack  the  foe  ;  break  through  the  thick  array 
Of  his  thronged  legions,  and  charge  home  upon  him. 
Perhaps  some  arm,  more  lucky  than  the  rest, 
May  reach  his  heart,  and  free  the  world  from  bondage.' 


^OO  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

"  Whatever  other  errors  or  vices  may  properly  be 
charged  to  us  in  the  account  for  August,  we  are  sure  that 
idleness  will  not  be  of  the  number.  We  have  worked 
hard.  We  have  more  than  once  thought  of  those  touch- 
ing lines  in  Hood's  '  Song  of  the  Shirt,'  — 

'Work  !  work  !  work  !  while  the  cock  is  crowing  aloof; 
Work  !  work  !  work  !  till  the  stars  shine  through  the  roof 

"  In  this  village  the  wife  of  an  intemperate  man  closed 
a  life  of  suffering  in  death.  'After  life's  fitful  fever  she 
sleeps  well.'  It  is,  however,  sad  to  think  she  was  deserted 
by  her  husband  in  that  hour  when  most  she  needed  sup- 
port and  sympathy.  He  took  his  hat  and  moved  towards 
the  door.  She  followed  him  with  an  eye  that  looked  un- 
utterable things,  and,  with  what  strength  the  great  de- 
stroyer had  left  her,  she  exclaimed,  ''Dear  husband^ 
do  not  leave  me  noiv  V  But  he  went,  and  she  was  left  to 
struggle  alone.  She  breathed  her  last  in  about  twenty 
minutes  after  he  left  the  house.  From  our  souls  we  exe- 
crate the  influence  that  could  tear  a  man  awa}',  at  such  a 
moment,  from  his  w^ife.  When  we  look  upon  the  scenes 
of  wretchedness  and  guilt,  the  want  and  woe,  the  disease, 
despair  and  death,  which  visit  the  earth  through  the  influ- 
ence of  the  traflic  in  rum,  and  when  we  realize  that  all 
this  is  known  and  understood  by  those  who  are,  for  paltry 
gain,  vending  the  poison  by  wholesale  and  retail  through 
a  suflering  community,  we  are  sometimes  led  to  exclaim, 
with  Campbell, — 

*  Where  sleeps  thy  shaft,  O  vengeance  ?  —  where  the  rod 
That  smote  the  foes  of  Zion,  and  of  God  ?  '  " 


''TABLE   TALKr  401 


XIX. 

"TABLE  TALK." 

IT  was  in  conversation  that  Dr.  Jewett's  remarka- 
ble versatility  appeared  to  best  advantage.  His 
tact,  wit,  humor,  wisdom,  and  mental  force  came  into 
full  play  here,  and  he  instructed,  electrified,  amused, 
and  "  set  the  table  in  a  roar."  And  what  was 
equally  remarkable  with  his  conversation,  it  made 
little  difference  whether  his  listeners  were  educated 
or  not,  a  group  of  professional  gentlemen  or  the 
"tin-pail  brigade."  He  could  adapt  himself  to  cir- 
cumstances with  such  remarkable  facility  and  sud- 
denness, that  no  emergency  caught  him  napping. 
His  sallies,  from  "  grave  to  gay,"  and  from  gay  to 
grave,  were  so  unexpected  and  natural,  that  old  and 
young,  educated  and  ignorant,  were  held  spell- 
bound. 

In  1842  Dr.  Jewett  was  on  the  cars,  when  fifteen  or 
twenty  railroad  laborers,  called  the  "tin-pail  brigade," 
entered  at  a  certain  station.  Some  of  the  number 
found  seats,  others  stood.  The  doctor  greeted  them 
with  one  of  his  broadest  smiles  and  a  jocose  remark, 
and  was  soon  on  the  freest  terms  with  them  in  con- 
versation about  railroading,  dignity  of  work,  and 
26 


402  LIFE   OF-  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

Robert  Burns.  He  began  to  recite  from  the  Scotch 
poet,  accom'pan3'ing  the  recitation  with  the  most  ap- 
propriate action,  to  the  inexpressible  pleasm-e  of  his 
ilHterate  audience.  They  left  their  seats  and  gath- 
ered around  him,  with  tin  pails  in  hand,  hanging 
upon  his  lips  entranced  to  the  end  of  their  trip,  part- 
ing with  him  there  as  with  an  old  friend  of  twenty 
years'  standing,  each  countenance  beaming  with 
pleasure. 

Nor  did  he  compromise  dignity,  or  lower  the 
standard  of  intellectual  taste,  in  ministering  to  the 
enjoyment  of  his  uncultured  listeners.  Every  one 
m  the  car  was  deeply  interested ;  and  there  were 
refined  and  educated  people  among  them.  James 
Russell  Lowell,  the  distinguished  poet  of  Cambridge, 
was  there,  although  Dr.  Jewett  was  not  aware  of  his 
presence.  He  was  a  delighted  listener,  too ;  and, 
subsequently,  he  celebrated  the  event  in  a  poem  of 
twenty-two  stanzas,  entitled,  ""' An  Incident  in  a 
Railroad  CarT     It  opened  thus  : 

"  He  spoke  of  Burns  ;   men  rude  and  rough 
Pressed  round  to  hear  the  praise  of  one 
Whose  heart  was  made  of  manly,  simple  stuff, 
As  homespun  as  their  own. 

"And  when  he  read  they  forward  leaned, 
Drinking,  with  thirsty  hearts  and  ears, 
His  brook-like  songs  whom  glory  never  weaned 
From  humble  smiles  and  tears. 

"  Slowly  there  grew  a  tender  awe, 

Sun-like,  o'er  face^  brown  and  hard, 
As  if  in  him  who  read  they  felt  and  saw 
Some  presence  of  the  bard. 


''TABLE   talk:' 


403 


"  It  was  a  sight  for  sin  and  wrong 
And  slavish  tyranny  to  see, 
A  sight  to  make  our  faith  more  pure  and  strong 
In  high  humanity. 

"  I  thought,  those  men  will  carry  hence 
Promptings  their  former  life  above, 
And  something  of  a  finer  reverence 
For  beauty,  truth,  and  love." 

We  have  not  space  for  the  whole  poem ;  but  it 
continues,  expanding  the  thought  that,  under  the 
rough  exterior  of  the  "poor  and  untutored,"  there  is 
a  heart  that  will  respond  to  the  "higher"  and 
"  nobler "  sentiments  of  life  when  touched  by  one 
who  is  master  of  the  art.  This  fine  poetic  tribute 
of  Lowell  illustrates  and  confirms  much  that  has 
been  said  of  Dr.  Jewett,  in  this  department,  on  pre- 
vious pages. 

Many  of  his  admirers  can  appreciate  that  scene. 
They  readily  recall  the  whole-heartedness  and  aban- 
don with  which  his  wit,  wisdom,  and  mimicry  could 
make  such  an  occasion  memorable.  Such  a  mixing 
up  of  instruction  and  sport,  talent  and  drollery, 
anecdote  and  argument,  pathos  and  fun,  yet  without 
offending  good  taste  or  degrading  intellect,  they 
cannot  associate  with  any  other  person  of  their 
acquaintance. 

A  clergyman  writes : 

"  The  half  can  never  be  told.  The  charm  of  the  man 
was  in  his  presence.  Brave  old  soldier!  A  more  de- 
lightful guest  never  crossed  our  threshold.  We  were  al- 
ways glad  to  see  him.     His  conversation  in  the  home  was 


404  ^^^^   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

charming.  His  fund  of  anecdotes,  witty  sayings,  and 
shrewd  observations  was  endless.  His  good  sense  and 
practical  wisdom  always  impressed  us.  He  ought  to  have 
written  a  book  on  the  management  of  children.'* 

A  temperance-worker  says : 

"  Dr.  Jewett  was  often  at  my  house.  He  always  stopped 
with  me  when  he  came  to  town.  It  was  a  treat  to  have 
him  in  my  fomily.  He  was  the  best  conversationalist  I 
ever  knew.  My  family  would  turn  night  into  day  any 
time  to  hear  him  converse.  Such  pithy  sayings,  such  wise 
remarks,  such  genuine  wit  as  he  would  pour  forth  for 
hours,  I  never  heard  from  any  other  man.  And  then  he 
would  make  it  all  so  spicy  with  pertinent  quotations  from 
British  and  American  poets,  with  whose  ^productions  he 
seemed  ^Derfectly  familiar." 

A  few  years  ago  Dr.  Jewett  lectured  in  a  town  in 
New  Jersey,  where  an  influential  doctor  of  divinity 
was  settled.  He  was  told  that  the  distinguished 
preacher  was  not  much  of  a  temperance  man,  and 
he  was  inclined  to  accept  the  information  as  correct. 
Pie  was  assigned  to  the  minister's  house  for  enter- 
tainment. After  the  evening  lecture,  when  he  had 
stretched  himself  out  upon  the  minister's  lounge, 
somewhat  exhausted,  the  host  said : 

"  Dr.  Jewett,  what  do  you  think  of  the  gospel  as  a 
reformatory  agent?" 

"  Great,  wonderful !  "  replied  Dr.  Jewett,  perfectly 
satisfied  what  was  coming. 

"  I  mean  its  powder  to  save  the  drunkard,  and  do 
up  this  temperance  work,"  added  the  preacher. 

"  I  understand  you  ;  nothing  like  it,  perfectly  mar- 


''TABLE   talk: 


405 


velous,  only  let  it  reach  the  heart,"  answered  Dr. 
Jevvett. 

"  I  did  not  know  that  your  opinions  accorded  so 
nearly  with  my  own;  those  are  my  sentiments," 
continued  the  minister.  "  If  men  would  become 
Christians  they  would  not  become  drunkards." 

"And  if  drunkards  would  become  Christians,  they 
would  be  drunkards  no  longer,"  responded  Dr. 
Jewett. 

"Well,  doctor,  what  need  then  of  this  outside 
temperance  work?  Why  not  give  ourselves  to 
preaching  the  gospel  wholly,  and  let  that  accom- 
plish the  work?"  remarked  the  minister,  with  an  air 
of  confidence  in  his  position. 

"  The  case  is  just  here,"  replied  the  doctor,  rising 
from  the  lounge.  "  I  was  educated  for  a  physi- 
cian. I  am  called  to  a  patient  who  is  in  a  state  of 
asphyxia  from  over-eating,  and  is  nigh  unto  death. 
I  know  that  the  gospel  is  just  suited  to  his  spiritual 
necessities ;  but  I  shall  not  spend  a  moment  in  ex- 
hortation or  preaching ;  /  shall  give  him  twenty 
grai^is  of  ipecac  at  once.  You  must  get  the  rum 
out  of  a  man  before  you  can  put  the  gospel  in." 

That  sally  of  wit  converted  the  conservative 
doctor  of  divinity  into  a  radical  advocate  of  tem- 
perance. 

We  remember  once  at  our  supper-table,  the  doctor 
was  criticising  the  manners  and  customs  of  the 
times,  when  he  summed  up  his  discourse  in  this 
sentence : 


4o6  LTFE   OF  CHARLES   JEIVETT. 


"  People  nowacla3's  make  unimportant  things  im- 
portant, and  important  things  unimportant." 

He  had  furnished  iHustrations  of  his  remark  in 
advance,  as,  "  Many  parents  bestow  more  attention 
upon  the  dress  than  they  do  upon  the  moral  culture 
of  their  children."  "Some  men  are  more  anxious 
to  have  their  houses  furnished  well  than  their  heads." 
"  It  seems  as  if  many  good  people  even  think  more 
of  money  than  they  do  of  morals."  "Youths  appear 
to  want  to  grow  up  into  a  good  business  more  than 
into  good  character." 

"  Do  you  suppose  that  he  was  called  to  the  work 
of  preaching  the  gospel?"  inquired  the  doctor  con- 
cerning a  minister  whom  the  small  company  were 
criticising,  and  one  whom  the  doctor  himself  knew 
to  be  without  talent  or  eloquence. 

"He  thinks  so,  no  doubt,"  answered  one  of  the 
number. 

"  But  do  you  think  so?  "  urged  the  doctor. 

"Perhaps  I  do  not  understand  what  a  call  to  the 
ministry  is,"  was  the  reply. 

"Well,"  added  Dr.  Jewett,  "between  us  and  the 
ceihng,  I  should  say  of  that  man,  as  the  good  old 
lady  said  to  her  nephew,  who  was  a  preacher  nobody 
Vv'anted  to  hear,  'James,  why  did  you  enter  the 
ministry?  '  " — and  he  imitated  the  old  lady's  voice. 
" '  Because  I  felt  that  God  called  me  to  it,'  answered 
James,  with  a  serious  air.  Wiping  her  spectacles 
widi    her    handkerchief,    and    seeming    somewhat 


''TABLE   talk:' 


407 


troubled,  she  responded,  'James,  are  you  sure  it  was 
not  some  other  noise  you  heard? '  " 

Dr.  Jewett  had  a  way,  in  conversation,  of  repeat- 
ing poetry  from  prominent  authors  in  response  to 
some  remark,  often  without  adding  a  word  of  his 
own.     The  following  are  examples. 

Calling  upon  a  family  to  spend  the  night,  where 
he  had  often  been,  his  salutation  on  entering  the 
house  was,  in  Cowper's  lines  : 

"  Now  stir  the  fire,  and  close  the  shutters  fast, 
Let  fall  the  curtains,  wheel  the  sofa  round, 
And,  while  the  bubbling  and  loud-hissing  urn 
Throws  up  a  steamy  column,  and  the  cups 
That  cheer  but  not  inebriate,  v/ait  on  each, 
So  let  us  welcome  peaceful  evening  in." 

On  listening  to  a  sad  tale  of  filial  ingratitude,  he 
remarked  in  Shakespeare's  words  : 

*•  How  sharper  than  a  serpent's  tooth  it  is 
To  have  a  thankless  child." 

His  attention  being  called  to  the  starry  heavens 
on  a  beautiful  evening,  he  replied,  from  Shake- 
speare : 

"  Look,  how  the  floors  of  heaven 

Are  thick  inlaid  with  patines  of  bright  gold  ; 

There  's  not  the  smallest  orb,  which  thou  behold'st, 

But  in  this  motion  like  an  angel  sings, 

Still  quiring  to  the  young-eyed  cherubim  ; 

Such' harmony  is  in  immortal  souls  : 

But  whilst  this  muddy  vesture  of  decay 

Doth  grossly  close  us  in,  we  cannot  hear  it." 

An  allusion  to  immortality,  brought  out  the  fol- 
lowing lines  from  Campbell : 


4o8  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT, 

"  This  spirit  shall  return  to  him 

Who  gave  its  heavenly  spark  ; 
Yet,  think  not,  sun,  it  shall  be  dim 

When  thou  thyself  art  dark  ! 
No  !  it  shall  live  again,  and  shine 
In  bliss  unknown  to  beams  of  thine, 

By  Him  recalled  to  breath  ; 
Who  captive  led  captivity, 
Who  robbed  the  grave  of  victory, 

And  took  the  sting  from  death  !  " 

In  conversation  with  several  temperance  advo- 
cates about  the  late  Lucius  M.  Sargent,  the  doctor 
expressed  the  opinion  that  in  "  graceful  rhetoric,  com- 
bined with  keen  satire  and  powerful  logic,  no  Amer- 
ican has  excelled  him,  especially  in  controversial 
writing,"  adding,  "  an  English  poet  has  expressed 
my  opinion : 

"  The  arrow,  polished,  in  his  hand  was  seen, 
And  as  it  grew  more  polished  grew  more  keen ; 
He  seemed  to  sport  and  trifle  Vv^ith  the  dart, 
But  while  he  sported,  drove  it  to  the  heart." 

And  this,  in  our  opinion,  has  equal  force  when 
applied  to  Dr.  Jewett  himself. 

Riding  with  an  intelligent  lady,  the  conversation 
turned  upon  the  varied  conditions  of  life,  when  the 
doctor  expressed  his  belief,  that  God's  grace  was 
sufficient  to  make  a  person  happy  in  spite  of  circum- 
stances ;  that  "  a  good  man  is  satisfied  from  himself," 
whatever  his  condition  in  life  may  be,  quoting 
Burns's  lines : 

"  It's  not  in  titles  nor  in  rank  ; 
It's  not  in  wealth  like  Lon'nun  bank, 


table-talk:' 


409 


To  purchase  peace  and  rest ; 
It's  not  in  making  muckle  mair, 
It's  not  inlDOoks,  it's  not  in  lear, 

To  make  us  truly  blest ; 
If  iiappiness  ha'e  not  her  seat 
And  centre  in  the  breast ; 
Nae  treasures  nor  pleasures 

Could  make  us  happy  lang ; 
The  heart  aye  's  the  part  aye 
That  makes  us  right  or  wrang." 

Sitting  by  his  wife  in  the  evening  when  she  was 
engaged  with  her  needle  to  meet  the  pressing  de- 
mands of  the  family,  and  the  children  were  gath- 
ered for  their  evening  pastime  or  tasks,  he  repeated 
Burns'  lines : 

"  Wi'  joy  unfeigned  brothers  and  sisters  meet, 

An'  each  for  other's  welfare  kindly  spiers  ; 
The  social  hours,  swift-winged,  unnoticed  fleet ; 

Each  tells  the  uncos  that  he  sees  or  hears  ; 
The  parents,  partial,  eye  their  hopeful  years  ; 

Anticipation  forward  points  the  view. 
The  mother,  wi'  her  needle  an'  her  shears. 

Gars  auld  claes  look  amaist  as  weel  's  the  new ; 
The  father  mixes  a'  wi'  admonition  due." 

Friends  remarked  in  his  presence  about  the  love 
that  a  youth  of  his  acquaintance  bore  for  his  affianced, 
when  he  at  once  responded  again  from  the  Scottish 
bard : 

*'  O  happy  love !  where  love  like  this  is  found  ! 
O  heart-felt  raptures  !  bliss  beyond  compare  ! 
I  have  paced  much  this  weary,  mortal  round, 

And  sage  experience  bids  me  this  declare  :  — 
If  Heaven  a  draught  of  heavenly  pleasure  spare, 
One  cordial  in  this  melancholy  vale, '. 


4IO  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

'Tis  when  a  youthful,  modest,  loving  pair 

In  others'  arms  breathe  out  the  tender  tale, 

Beneath  the  milk-whitethorn  that  scents  the  evening  gale." 

Passing  along  the  street  with  a  friend,  their  atten- 
tion was  called  to  a  company  of  youths  jumping  a 
fence  to  test  their  agility.  The  scene  turned  the 
doctor's  conversation  to  the  buoyancy  and  hope  of 
youth,  and  the  'real  beauty  and  winsomeness  of  such  a 
scene  as  that  before  him,  closing  with  this  stanza  from 

Burns : 

"  I  am  a  bending,  aged  tree. 
That  long  has  stood  the  wind  and  rain ; 
But  now  has  come  a  cruel  blast, 
An'  my  last  hold  of  earth  is  gane  ; 
Nae  leaf  of  mine  shall  greet  the  spring, 
Nae  simmer  sun  exalt  my  bloom  ; 
But  I  maun  lie  before  the  storm, 
An'  ithers  plant  them  in  my  room." 

This  is  but  an  illustration  of  the  general  character 
of  Dr.  Jewett's  conversation.  Many  times  we  have 
heard  him  slip  in  quotations,  in  both  prose  and  verse, 
that  invested  the  interview  with  an  indescribable 
charm.  In  conversation  with  friends  upon  public 
questions,  quotations  from  the  speeches  of  Burke, 
Hastings,  Webster,  Corwin,  and  others,  were  com- 
mon. He  was  just  as  likely  to  call  quotations  to  his 
aid  when  riding  in  the  cars  or  at  work  in  his  garden, 
as  he  was  in  the  social  circle  or  at  the  fireside.  A 
friend  recollects  with  what  tender  spirit  he  addressed 
a  little  bird  in  his  garden,  reciting  Burns's  entire 
poem,  beginning  thus : 

"  Ilk  hopping  bird  —  wee  helpless  thing, 
That  in  the  merry  month  of  spring 
Delighted  me  to  hear  thee  sing." 


''TABLE  talk::' 


411 


We  must  limit  this  chapter  to  a  few  of  the  doc- 
tor's apothegms,  which  added  to  the  attractive,  in- 
structive character  of  his  conversation. 

"Alcohol  may  stimulate  to  increased  action,  just  as  a 
whip  may  impel  the  horse  to  extra  efforts;  but  neither 
the  alcohol  nor  whip  impart  any  strength.  It  is  poor 
reasoning,  that,  because  the  stomach  can  bear  a  stroke 
or  two  of  the  wiiip  to  get  it  out  of  the  quagmire,  it  can 
live  on  lashes." 

"  The  trouble  is,  that,  while  people  arc  opposed  to  in- 
temperance and  kindred  vices,  they  are  not  opposed  to 
their  causes.  They  want  to  continue  the  causes  in  opera- 
tion, but  avoid  the  consequences.     God  won't  let  them." 

'•  Benedict  Arnold  was  a  rumseller  and  drunkard 
Three  of  the  most  important  defeats  sustained  by  our 
country  in  the  Revolution  were  caused  by  men  who  died 
drunkards.  Had  a  sober  crew  been  on  board  the  Chesa- 
peake, the  brave  Lawrence  never  would  have  had  to  cry, 
*  Don't  give  up  the  ship  ! '  Drunkards  can't  save  the  lib- 
erties of  this  country." 

"You  remember  that  inimitable  scene  in  Faust,  where 
Mephistopheles  takes  a  gimblet  and  draws  wine  out  of  the 
dry  taljle.  The  wine  turned  to  fire  in  the  stomachs  of  all 
who  drank  it,  and  they  became  wild  and  mad,  and  seized 
each  other's  noses,  cutting  them  off  with  their  knives, 
thinking  the  noses  were  bunches  of  grapes.  Tiiere  is 
more  truth  than  poetry  in  that  description.  '  Wine  is  a 
mocker,'  and  it  burns  in  the  brain,  and  maddens  men  till 
they  cannot  tell  a  nose  from  a  bunch  of  grapes." 

"  A  man  may  do  a  right  thing  in  a  wrong  way;  but  he 
cannot  do  a  wrong  thing  in  a  right  way.     For  there  is  no 


412  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

Yi^hi  way  of  doing  wrong.  If  there  were,  it  is  a  question 
whether  he  would  not  be  as  badiy  off  in  doing  right  in  a 
wrong  way,  as  he  would  be  in  doing  wrong  in  a  right 
way." 

"  I  am  sick  of  the  half-hearted  and  ignorant  efforts  of 
Inuidreds  who  have  a  place  in  our  societies  of  various 
kinds.  To  hear  men  declaiming  against  tippling,  and 
pausing  now  and  then  to  eject  from  a  dirty  mouth  the 
juice  of  tobacco,  a  poisonous  and  filthy  weed,  chewed  for 
no  purpose  but  abnormal  sensations  and  excitement,  — 
it  makes  me  sick.  When  I  see  so  many  of  our  rank  and 
file  smoking  and  chewing,  burning  a  half  dozen  ten-cent 
cigars  per  day,  and  yet  declaring  themselves  too  poor  to 
pay  for  a  temperance  paper  which  might  instruct  them  in 
a  better  way,  I  am  half  inclined  to  exclaim  with  the  de- 
spairing Eneas : 

*  What  hope,  O  Panthus  !    Whither  shall  we  run  ? 
Where  make  a  stand,  or  what  can  yet  be  done  ?"* 


DR.  JEWETT  A   MODEL  REFORMER.      413 


XX. 

DR.  JEWETT  A  MODEL  REFORMER. 

DR.  JEWETT  possessed  the  elements  of  a  model 
reformer.  Chiefly  they  were  born  with  him  — 
tact,  wit,  humor,  decision,  courage,  talents,  sympathy, 
love,  and  principle ;  nurtured  from  childhood,  and 
matured  by  industry,  patience,  and  close  observation 
into  stalwart  qualities.  In  this  respect  he  did  more 
for  himself  than  all  the  world  beside  did  for  him. 
Gibbon  says  that  "  every  person  has  two  educations, 
—  one  which  he  receives  from  others,  and  one,  more 
important,  which  he  gives  to  himself."  The  educa 
tion  which  Dr.  Jewett  gave  to  himself  was  vastly 
greater  than  that  which  he  received  from  others. 
Nature  provided  him  with  excellent  material,  and 
he  made  the  most  of  it  possible. 

The  celebrated  English  merchant,  Samuel  Bud- 
gett,  was  wont  to  say  that  a  "man's  success  in  life 
depends  upon  tact,  push,  and  principle."  Whatever 
these  three  qualities  may  do  for  a  business  or  pro- 
fessional man,  they  alone  will  not  make  a  genuine 
reformer.  They  constitute  an  important  part  oi  the 
outfit,  but,  without  other  qualities,  can  make  but  the 
commonest  worker  in  this  line.     That  Dr.  Jewett 


414  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

possessed  these  to  an  eminent  degree,  and  others  no 
less  marked  and  valuable,  the  previous  record  fur- 
nishes abundant  proof. 

His  tact  was  remarkable.  He  knew  how  to  use 
his  powers  to  advantage.  His  methods  of  working 
indicated  to  every  observer  that  he  knew  what  he 
was  about.  He  adapted  himself  to  circumstances 
with  singular  ease.  He  controlled  emergencies 
readily.  Not  only  was  "necessity  the  mother  of 
invention  "  with  him,  but  also  the  father  of  thought, 
application,  and  force.  If  one  method  of  doing  was 
impossible,  he  found  another  that  was  just  as  good. 
If  too  poor  to  get  what  he  wanted,  he  took  what  he 
could  get,  and  made  it  answer  his  purpose  well. 
If  he  lacked  the  wherewith  to  purchase  surgical 
instruments,  he  made  them.  If  he  needed  cart  or 
wheelbarrow,  and  his  income  was  more  limited 
than  usual,  he  could  easily  manufacture  them.  He 
could  doctor  the  body  and  the  soul  as  well.  He 
could  be  master  of  physic  and  the  rostrum,  or  a 
practical  mechanic  and  farmer.  His  resources,  in 
this  regard,  appear  to  have  been  equal  to  any  occa- 
sion. 

When  such  tact  is  combined  with  talents,  success 
is  easy.  In  this  way  often  a  man  of  very  ordinary 
abilities,  with  tact,  achieves  more  in  practical  life 
than  one  who  has  ten  times  his  talents  without  tact. 
Emerson  expresses  it  thus  : 

•'  Tact  clinches  the  bargain, 
Sails  out  of  the  bay, 
Gets  the  vote  in  the  senate, 
Spite  of  Webster  or  Clay." 


DR.  JEWETT  A   MODEL  REFORMER.      41^ 

As  a  reformer  Dr.  Jewett's  tact  was  a  cardinal 
quality.  It  served  him  well  in  dealing  with  all 
classes  of  men,  as  he  necessarily  did.  When  appe- 
tite and  avarice  assailed  him,  his  tact  always  man- 
aged them.  Discordant  elements,  grave  difficulties, 
violent  opposition,  and  even  treachery  itself,  were 
largely  modified  by  its  agile  exercise. 

The  doctor  possessed  sound  common  sense,  which 
enabled  him  to  use  his  powers  to  the  best  advan- 
tage. In  popular  parlance  men  mean  about  the 
same  thing  when  they  say  of  a  man  he  has  "  sound 
judgment,"  "tact,"  or  "good  practical  knowledge." 
Yet  there  is  this  difference  :  Common  sense  involves 
mental  and  moral  resorces  behind  it,  of  which 
the  latter  may  not  be  an  exhaustive  exponent.  Dr. 
Jewett  possessed  a  fund  of  ability,  by  whatever 
name  called,  existing  in  conjunction  with  tact,  and 
perhaps,  in  an  important  sense,  part  of  it.  We  call 
it  common  sense. 

This  gave  power  to  Dr.  Jewett  as  a  reformer. 
The  usual  appellations  applied  to  this  class,  as  "fa- 
natical," "pig-headed,"  "impracticable,"  "fooHsh," 
did  not  set  well  on  him.'  Whoever  labeled  him 
thus  knew  that  he  had  put  on  the  wrong  label. 

As  already  hinted,  Dr.  Jewett's  sound  sense  served 
him  a  good  turn  in  all  circumstances.  It  was  not 
serviceable  in  one  place  and  useless  in  another. 
Some  men  have  good  sense  in  some  things,  and  the 
opposite  in  others.  That  college  professor  who 
replied  to  the  grocer's  inquiry,  —  "  How  much  coffee 
do  you  want?"   "Well,  I  declare,  my  wife  did  not 


4l6  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

say,  but  I  should  think  a  bushel  would  do,"  —  had 
not  common  sense  in  common  affairs,  however 
much  practical  wisdom  he  might  have  possessed 
in  his  special  department.  But  Dr.  Jewett's  com- 
mon sense  controlled  his  acquisitions  and  natural 
powers,  —  his  zeal,  temper,  language,  learning,  wit, 
humor,  and  logic,  —  and  was  available  everywhere. 
Macaulay  said  of  the  Duke  of  Monmouth :  "  He 
had  brilliant  wit  and  ready  invention  without  com- 
mon sense."  Dr.  Jewett  possessed  the  same  with 
common  sense  ;  and  so  they  served  him  a  noble  pur- 
pose while  they  were  comparatively  useless,  if  not 
injurious,  to  the  Duke. 

His  WIT  was  second  to  no  quality  in  making  him 
a  model  reformer.  Often,  in  battling  against  the 
appetite  and  avarice  of  men,  as  Dr.  Jewett  was 
compelled  to  do  in  his  work,  keen,  sparkling  wit 
enabled  him  to  manage  his  audience,  keeping  them 
in  good  humor  and  eager  to  listen.  Neither  rum- 
sellers  nor  their  emissaries  were  in  the  habit  of 
trying  to  cough,  hiss,  or  stamp  him  down.  How- 
ever unpalatable  the  truth  he  spoke,  they  listened; 
for  the  doctor's  rule  was,  the  more  unpalatable  the 
dish  the  more  wit  to  season  it  for  swallowing. 
Stern  logic  and  just  severity  might  compound  the 
pill,  but  wit  must  sugar-coat  it.  In  all  reforms, 
witty  advocates,  other  things  being  equal,  have 
experienced  little  trouble  with  disturbers  of  public 
meetings  or  the  mobocratic  spirit. 

Dr.  Jewett  once  replied  to  a  remark  about  his  wit 
--"Wit  is  like  fire,   a   good  servant,  but   a  hard 


DR.  JEWETT  A   MODEL  REFORMER.      417 

a    careful    watch    that    his   wit 
should  serve  only  as  a  servant. 

"Wit  never  grows  old,"  it  is  said.  The  born 
sparkle  always  sticks  to  it.  This,  too,  is  an  advan- 
tage to  a  reformer.  His  physical  force  will  abate 
with  age.  The  old-time  dexterity  and  strength 
must  flag.  But  genuine  wit  retains  its  youth.  It  is 
"more  ruddy  than  rubies.  Its  countenance  is  as 
sapphire,"  whether  twenty  years  old  or  three-score 
and  ten.  Was  not  this  true  of  Dr.  Jewett?  Who- 
ever saw  him  on  the  rostrum,  in  the  last  decade 
of  his  life,  without  thinking  and  perhaps  saying, 
"young  as  ever  —  appears  just  as  he  did  forty  5^ears 
ago"?  It  was  his  wit,  flashing  in  his  eye,  enliven- 
ing thought,  vivifying  sentiment,  rejuvenating  ac- 
tion, and  reinforcing  age  wath  youthful  spirits.  It 
was  the  same  in  the  social  circle.  A  friend  in 
whose  family  Dr.  Jewett  often  found  rest  and  con- 
genial society,  furnishes  an  illustration  of  this  fact. 
The  doctor  came  just  at  night  suffering  quite  se- 
verely with  his  heart.  It  was  but  three  or  four 
years  ago.  The  family  left  him  on  the  lounge  when 
they  went  to  the  weekly  evening  prayer  meeting. 
On  their  return  he  was  there  still,  suffering  less, 
though  weary  and  distressed.  He  inquired  about 
the  meeting.  He  wished  to  know  what  was  said. 
While  one  was  rehearsing  what  A  said,  he  quoted 
a  text  of  Scripture  that  the  speaker  might  have 
employed  to  enforce  his  words.  And  the  same  was 
true  of  B's  and  C's  remarks  —  a  passage  of  Scrip- 
ture was  ready  for  each  one.  By  and  by,  uncon- 
2^ 


4i8  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

sclously,  he  glanced  off  to  the  poets,  quoting  from 
them  on  this  and  that  topic,  both  grave  and  gay  — 
Cowper,  Burns,  Young,  Shakespeare,  and  others, 
interspersing  anecdotes  and  wit  in  rapid  succession, 
forgetting  debility  and  pain  and  even  that  he  had  a 
heart ;  finally  sitting  bolt  upright  to  enter  into  the 
occasion  with  body,  mind,  and  soul,  as  if  renewing 
his  youth,  keeping  the  whole  company,  young  and 
old,  interested  and  every  now  and  then  "in  a  roar" 
until  the  clock  struck  twelve  —  midniglit,  all  sur- 
prised at  the  lateness  of  the  hour. 

The  spontaneity  of  his  wit  increased  its  power. 
Often  he  evoked  laughter  without  meaning  it.  His 
wit  was  so  natural  and  genuine  that  it  appeared  to 
be  essential  to  his  speech.  We  recollect  hearing 
him  one  Sabbath  evening  when  his  whole  heart 
was  in  harmony  with  the  sacredness  of  the  day ; 
and  he  put  one  of  his  points  so  quaintly  and  tri- 
umphantly that  the  audience  laughed.  After  the 
meeting,  with  some  anxiety,  he  inquired  why  the 
audience  laughed,  saying  it  was  far  from  his  inten- 
tion to  make  them  laucrh.  We  assured  him  that  it 
was  all  right  —  that  if  there  was  no  occasion  for  an 
actual  laugh,  a  broad  smile  was  very  appropriate  in 
the  circumstances. 

Dr.  Jewett's  courage  was  another  element  of  his 
jiower  as  a  reformer.  He  appears  to  have  been 
oblivious  to  fear.  He  was  put  into  many  perilous 
places,  but  was  never  scared.  He  expected  opposi- 
tion and  abuse.  He  knew  that  difficulties  and  dan- 
gers  would   arise.     He   understood   well   that  the 


DR.  JEWETT  A   MODEL  REFORMER.       ^ip 

temperance  cause  must  push  its  way  in  the  teeth  of 
wicked  men  and  devils.  Yet  his  courage  was  equal 
to  the  demand.  He  was  as  nQ^xr  fearless  as  any 
man  could  well  be.  Though  friends  feared  for 
him,  he  did  not  fear  for  himself.  Nor  was  it  reck- 
lessness. Such  a  man  as  he  is  not  reckless.  It 
was  tho  courage  of  a  soul  in  earnest  to  discharge 
personal  duty  at  the  call  of  God.  He  thought  not 
of  popularity,  greatness,  or  renown,  but  simply 
how  to  do  the  most  and  best  for  humanity ;  and  his 
courage  was  a  state  of  heart  incidental  to  that 
heroic.  Christian  purpose. 

Love  oy  the  cause  was  still  another  element  of 
his  success  as  a  reformer.  He  loved  it  better  than 
anything  else  in  human  work  —  better  than  the 
medical  profession,  better  than  agriculture  and  hor- 
ticulture, better  than  literature  and  science,  better 
than  wealth  or  distinction.  All  of  these  he  relin- 
quished for  the  privilege  of  advancing  a  cause  that 
he  loved.  And  when  he  had  nearly  worn  himself 
out  by  hard  service,  he  wrote  : 

"  Had  I  sacrificed  my  '  hobby,'  as  some  called  it,  and 
devoted  myself  to  my  profession,  and  acquired  wealth, 
that  wealth  could  have  added  nothing  to  my  personal 
happiness,  or  that  of  my  family,  and  would  now  be  a 
misei  :ible  possession  as  compared  with  the  memories  of 
a  life  devoted  to  the  reformation,  education,  and  elevation 
of  my  fellow-men." 

The  words  quoted  prove  that  not  only  love  of 
the  cause,  but  also  love  of  his  kind,  was  a 
prominent  factor  of  his  -life  as  a  reformer.     Every 


420  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

chapter  of  this  book,  and  almost  every  page,  fur- 
nishes proof  of  the  statement.  He  lived  for  others, 
not  for  himself. 

As  the  editor  of  a  prominent  jom'nal  in  the  town 
where  Dr.  Jewett  lived  and  died,  said  : 

"  In  his  life  he  has  touched,  with  an  uplifting  power, 
millions,  and  never  one  with  a  down-pulling  power.  He 
has  always  made  the  world  better,  and  never  made  it 
worse.  He  has  builded  society,  never  demolished  it. 
His  life  has  been  given,  widiout  pay,  to  his  countrymen ; 
working  for  human  weal,  and  not  for  honor  or  pay." 

Dr.  Jewett  took  the  Bible  for  the  basis  of  the 
TEMPERANCE  REFORM.  It  was  not  enough  with 
him  to  be  a  Christian  reformer;  the  Christian  re- 
former must  plant  himself  upon  Christianity  in  his 
methods  and  hopes.  He  saw  no  victory,  near  or 
remote,  outside  of  the  Bible.  That  must  provide 
not  only  the  tactics  of  war,  but  its  munitions  as 
well.  Hence,  he  was  as  familiar  with  the  Bible  as 
the  commander  is  with  the  arsenal.  He  understood 
exactly  what  ordnance  it  could  furnish.  He  felt 
strong,  confident,  and  bold  when  reinforced  by  the 
Scriptures.  Then  he  was  master  of  the  situation, 
commanding  both  reason  aijd  conscience. 

Here  was  the  secret  of  Dr.  Jewett's  steady,  perse- 
vering and  consistent  course.  While  some  reform- 
ers drifted  into  doubt  and  unbelief,  renouncing  for- 
mer respect  for  God's  Word  and  His  Church,  the 
doctor  maintained  his  hold  upon  both  as  vital  to 
success.     No    minister   or   Christian   layman   ever 


DR.  JEWETT  A   MODEL  REFORMER.      421 

expected  other  than  the  most  emphatic  words  from 
him,  for  the  Bible  was  guide  and  counsellor  on  the 
temperance  question.  Hence  he  was  welcome  to 
pulpits,  Christian  conventions,  and  ecclesiastical 
bodies.  Public  confidence,  personal  respect,  and 
admiration  were  secured  by  his  fidelity  to  the  Word 
of  God. 

His  SPIRIT  as  a  reformer  was  highly  commenda- 
ble. He  was  sharp  but  kind  in  controvers}^  even 
when  he  "flayed  his  antagonist  alive."  A  sally  of 
genuine  wit  was  very  likely  to  accompany  the  appli- 
cation of  the  knife,  so  as  to  modify  the  pain.  He 
never  became  angry  in  the  hottest  contest,  though 
he  excelled  most  public  speakers  in  the  use  of  sar- 
casm and  invective.  The  lance  of  the  most  chival- 
rous knight  never  went  straight  to  its  mark  more 
surely  than  the  doctor's  polished  invective.  We 
have  seen  him  when  his  attack  upon  the  liquor  traffic 
was  a  tempest  of  denunciation,  lightning  flashing 
from  his  eye,  thunder  rattling  in  his  voice,  and  his 
logic  a  flaming  bolt  splintering  all  before  it.  His 
earnestness  was  the  strength  and  rush  of  a  tornado. 
Yet  there  was  not  a  particle  of  malice  or  madness  in 
his  heart.  He  closed  the  assault  by  causing  the 
audience  to  explode  with  laughter. 

He  often  employed  words  that  read  harshly, 
though  at  the  time  they  seemed  to  listeners  well 
chosen  and  select.  In  the  little  volume  of  addresses 
th*-^t  he  published  thirty  years  ago  he  said : 

"  If  the  language  employed  to  express  my  opinion  of  the 
liquor  traffic,  and  of  the  vileness  and  inhumanity  of  those 


422  L^FE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

engaged  in  it,  should  be  considered  by  some  unwarrantably 
harsh,  I  shall  not  be  surprised;  and  I  will  sa} ,  with  per- 
fect frankness,  that  its  employment  was  not  a  slip  of  the 
tongue  or  pen.  At  the  risk  of  my  character  for  amiability, 
I  will  confess  that  my  feelings  on  this  subject  are  much 
stronger  than  any  language  I  have  employed." 

He  was  not  -partisan  or  sectarian.  He  mingled 
with  all  political  parties  and  sects  harmoniously, 
yet  without  compromising  his  principles.  He  was 
as  religious  at  the  polls  as  he  was  at  the  altar. 
He  believed  in  carr^dng  religion  into  politics.  He 
always  voted,  and  voted  where  he  believed  his  bal- 
lot Vv'ould  tell  the  most  for  liberty  and  temperance. 
Hence  he  scratched  ballots  or  bolted,  according  to 
conviction.  He  was  formerly  a  Whig,  and  then  a 
Republican  ;  but  he  was  prompt  to  criticise  either 
party  when  untrue  to  the  principles  they  professed. 
So  in  the  church,  he  was  a  decided  Congregational- 
ist  without  being  denominational ;  but  his  denomi- 
national views  v/ere  to  him  no  reason  why  he  should 
not  labor  harmoniously  with  all  Christian  denomina- 
tions in  the  cause  of  humanity.  His  views  are  ex- 
pressed clearly  in  the  following  paragraph  from  his 
pen  : 

"  The  same  is  true  of  sectarian  prejudices,  which  serve 
to  hinder  men  from  working  together  in  any  move- 
ment for  the  good  of  community.  Religion  never  hinders 
its  possessor  from  aiding  even  bad  men  in  a  good  work. 
The  disciples  of  our  Lord,  when  directed  to  distribute  the 
loaves  among  the  starving  multitude,  did  not  display  the 
littleness  of  their  souls  b}--  inquiring  who  of  the  hungry 


DR.  JEWETT  A  MODEL  REFORMER.       423 

throng  were  Pharisees  and  who  Sadducees.  They  fed 
them  indiscriminately.  Men  of  different  sects,  who  have 
in  exercise  the  spirit  of  tlie  gospel,  will  kindly  work  to- 
gether to  feed  the  hungry  and  to  clothe  the  naked,  to 
reform  the  vicious,  or  remove  from  society  sources  of  com- 
mon danger ;  but  let  the  parties  whom  you  desire  should 
work  together  for  the  jDromotion  of  a  cause  bear  but  the 
name  of  Christ,  without  his  Spirit,  and  they  will  be  as 
unsocial,  jealous,  intractable,  and  obstinate  as  the  devil 
could  desire." 

The  consciousness  of  being  right,  morally  and 
logically,  seemed  to  lift  him  above  criticism.  He 
cared  more  to  be  right  and  just  than  he  did  to  parry 
assault.  He  pressed  forward  towards  the  mark  for 
the  prize,  regardless  of  the  spears  and  arrows  that 
critics  in  the  rear  hurled  at  his  back.  Hence  there 
was  little  comfort  to  critics  in  assailing  him.  He 
was  more  likely  to  crack  a  joke  at  their  expense  than 
to  slap  them  in  their  faces.  He  often  took  the  wind 
out  of  their  sails  by  accepting  their  criticisms. 
Again,  a  pat  illustration  or  shaft  of  wit  turned  the 
edge  of  their  attacks  in  a  twinkling.  Altogether 
he  was  as  nearly  invulnerable  as  a  public  speaker 
could  well  be,  in  the  presence  of  critics.  It  was 
difficult  to  pierce  his  armor ;  and  if  it  were  pierced, 
he  would  turn  the  assault  to  real  practical  advan- 
tage. 

It  is  evident  that  Dr.  Jewett  did  not  ride  a  ^'  hobby." 
This  charge  is  usually  brought  against  reformers, 
whether  true  or  false.  It  never  could  be  charored 
with  any  show  of  fairness  against  Dr.  Jewett.  Nei- 
ther was   he  "  impracdcable,'*  as  this  class  are  said 


424  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

to  be.  Such  wisdom  and  conscientious  effort  as 
characterized  his  life  raised  him  above  such  accusa- 
tions. If,  as  Madame  De  Stael  said,  "a  historian  is 
almost  a  statesman,"  then  a  philanthropist  like  Dr. 
Jevvett  is  almost  a  philosopher ;  and  philosophers 
are  neither  hobbyists  nor  enthusiasts. 


IN  THE  FAMILY. 


425 


XXI. 

DR.  JEWETT  IN  THE  FAMILY. 

'*  \  RARE  man  in  society  —  a  model  in  the 
-ljL  family,"  —  says  one.  "  To  know  Dr.  Jewett 
thoroughly,  it  was  necessary  to  see  him  at  home," 
says  another.  "  Tender,  affectionate,  merry,  intel- 
ligent, instructive,  and  a  decided  Christian,  his  home 
was  an  Eden  without  the  serpent,"  writes  a  third. 
That  his  home  (the  place  where  his  family  was) , 
whether  in  Rhode  Island,  Connecticut,  Massachu- 
setts, New  Hampshire,  Illinois,  Minnesota,  Tennes- 
see, or  New  York,  was  the  dearest  spot  on  earth  to 
him,  no  acquaintance  ever  questioned. 

The  birth  of  his  first  child  was  to  him  one  ef 
the  most  interesting  and  important  events  of  his  life, 
equalled  only  by  the  subsequent  births  in  his  family. 
He  comprehended  its  meaning  as  few  fathers  ever 
do.  The  ordinary  ideas  that  are  expressed  by  the 
term  "  baby,^^  at  such  a  time,  did  not  appear  to  pos- 
sess his  mind  so  much  as  those  higher  and  grander 
thoughts  about  its  future  in  this  life  and  the  next,  as 
well  as  the  weight  of  responsibility  his  new  charge 
imposed.      To    see   him    so    lovingly    dandle    the 


426  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

"wingless  angels,"  as  he  called  them,  on  his  knee, 
toss  them  in  the  air,  talk  to  them  out  of  a  mother- 
heart  really,  and  caress  them  like  a  woman,  was 
enough  to  convince  any  beholder  that  he  found 
society  with  the  little  helpless  ones.  And  further 
on,  as  they  grew  older,  to  witness  his  boyish  demon- 
strations with  them,  joining  in  their  sports,  rollick- 
ing with  them  on  the  floor,  playing  horse,  ball,  and 
top  to  amuse  them,  gave  proof  that  he  still  adapted 
himself  to  their  society.  But  that  was  a  small  mat- 
ter in  comparison  wath  the  higher  thoughts  that  in- 
vested childhood  from  the  Godward  side.  Just  here, 
to  illustrate  further,  we  quote  a  paragraph  from  a 
letter  of  his  to  Mrs.  Jewett,  in  1874,  after  she  had 
received  an  unfortunate  Swedish  girl  into  their  fam- 
ily with  a  child  (that  was  to  bear  through  life  the 
shame  of  a  mother's  sin)  to  care  for,  in  the  exercise 
of  a  true  benevolent  spirit : 

"I  am  anxious  to  hear  how  you  get  on  with  home  af- 
fairs, and  hov/  the  sick  baby  is  doing,  if  indeed  the  little 
wingless  angel  (every  babe  is  that)  is  still  with  you. 
Whether  it  live  or  die,  I  shall  always  be  glad  that  we 
gave  it  quarters  with  us,  not  in  a  manger,  but  in  our  own 
comfortable  home.  '' Inasimich  as  ye  did  it  unto  one  of 
the  least  of  these^  ye  did  it  ZLuto  me,*  It  is  not  the 
amoiint  of  suflfering  we  alleviate  or  prevent,  which  gives 
character  to  the  act  in  the  sight  of  God,  but  the  spirit 
which  prompts  it,  and  that  can  be  as  distinctly  manifested 
in  the  case  of  a  little  helpless  mortal  as  in  the  case  of  a 
man  or  woman  of  years  and  borne  down  with  infirmities. 
But  there  is  no  need  that  I  lecture  _y^z^  in  relation  to  mat- 
ters of  human  duty." 


IN  THE  FAMILY, 


427 


There  is  something  peculiarly  touching  in  the 
loving  spirit  of  a  man  almost  seventy  years  old, 
whose  heart  thus  folds  the  stranger-waif  to  itself, 
doing  it  for  the  Master.  It  is  especially  so  in  a 
father  who  has  had  thirteen  babes  of  his  own  to 
handle  and  caress. 

A  complete  history  of  the  names  of  Dr.  Jewett's 
children  w^ould  be  interesting  in  itself.  We  can 
only  say,  however,  that  it  was  perfectly  natural  for 
the  first  daughter  to  be  named  Lucy  :  Dr.  Jewett 
would  have  consented  to  no  other  name  than  that  of 
its  mother.  It  was  natural  that  the  name  of  the  first 
son  should  be  Charles  ;  Mrs.  Jewett  would  have  con- 
sented to  no  other  name  than  that  of  the  child's 
father.  When  the  next  son  was  born.  Dr.  Jewett 
had  been  reading  the  life  of  Richard  Henry  Lee, 
and  he  was  so  much  gratified  wn'th  the  character, 
that  he  appropriated  the  name.  In  like  manner, 
when  the  third  son  was  born,  the  doctor  had  been 
reading  the  life  of  that  English  statesman,  John 
Hampden,  and  he  showed  his  high  appreciation  of 
that  Englishman's  character  by  naming  his  boy  for 
him.  All  the  other  names  of  his  children  have  a 
history,  and  the  reason  for  them  is  found  in  some 
demand  of  kinship,  hereditary  claim,  or  personal 
friendship. 

At  the  earliest  possible  age,  the  doctor  familiar- 
ized  the  minds  of  his  children  with  worh^  as  a  disci- 
pline. He  dreaded  idleness,  because  of  its  demor- 
alizing effects.  It  might  be  some  simple  thing  that 
he  required  them  to  do,  like  drawing  water,  bringing 


428  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

in  wood,  washing  dishes,  taking  care  of  the  baby  — 
something  that  was  helpful  to  the  family. 

He  believed  in  a  time  to  play  ;  and  no  father  ever 
spent  more  hours  to  make  the  playing  of  his  children 
both  pleasurable  and  useful  than  he.  He  could 
make  kites,  carts,  tops,  and  balls  for  them  as  well  as 
he  made  them  for  himself  and  others  in  boyhood. 
But,  as  early  as  practicable,  he  aimed  to  unite 
amusement  and  utility.  He  sought  the  useful  in  the 
pleasurable.  His  boys  were  not  more  than  six  or 
eight  years  old  when  they  w^ere  introduced  to  me- 
chanical labor.  A  turning-lathe  was  fitted  up,  with 
bench  and  tools  to  correspond  ;  and  they  were  taught 
to  manufacture  articles ;  perhaps  sleds,  carts,  and 
bow-and-arrows,  for  sport,  and  crickets,  milking- 
stools  and  boxes  for  use.  There  was  a  great  amount 
of  fun  in  this  for  them  as  well  as  excellent  discipline. 
It  was  play  and  work  combined. 

Order  was  the  first  law  of  his  family.  This  was 
secured  by  implicit  obedience.  His  children  obeyed 
from  their  very  babyhood.  In  no  family  was  there 
ever  more  cheerful  obedience ;  and  yet  no  visitor 
ever  witnessed  any  particular  effort  in  that  direc- 
tion. It  appeared  to  be  secured  without  effort. 
Like  planets,  the  children  moved  in  their  respective 
orbits,  as  if  by  some  organic  law  of  the  household. 
Dr.  Jewett  used  to  claim  that  it  was  because  they 
revolved  about  their  mother,  crediting  the  order, 
obedience,  and  beautiful  harmony  of  his  home  to 
her.  Be  that  as  it  may,  he  co-operated.  His  family 
government  was  of  the  republican  form.     He  gov- 


IN  THE  FAMILY. 


429 


erned  b}^  consent  of  the  governed.  He  was  presi- 
dent, and  his  children  constituted  the  co-ordinate 
branches,  presided  over  by  their  mother,  by  virtue 
of  her  office  as  vice-president.  Every  measure 
adopted  became  the  stronger  because  each  branch 
of  the  little  republic  had  indorsed  it.  The  president 
never  found  hisjiands  tied  because  the  co-ordinate 
branches  refused  to  vote  supplies.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  co-ordinate  branches  never  found  them- 
selves badgered  and  oppressed  by  a  dictatorial  exec- 
utive. A  veto  was  never  demanded.  The  bare 
statement  of  his  wishes,  in  a  fatherly  message,  was 
sufficient  to  secure  co-operation  and  harmon}^  The 
result  was  a  model  family  government,  as  every  man 
and  woman  conversant  with  the  facts  wall  testify. 

His  letters  to  Mrs.  Jewett,  in  his  frequent  and 
long  absences,  contain  many  paragraphs  like  the 
following : 

"  The  family  I  am  with  are  cursed  with  a  dissolute  son. 
Already  I  see  one  reason  for  it  in  a  shilly-shally,  milk-and- 
water  course  in  governing  their  children,  that  fails  to 
secure  obedience.  God  be  thanked  that  he  gave  us  the 
wisdom  and  firmness  to  train  our  sons  to  habits  of  obedi- 
ence, and  to  exact  of  them  a  decent  regard  for  the  pro- 
prieties of  life.  We  have  our  reward  in  a  family  of  sons 
who  know  how  to  conduct  themselves  with  propriety  in 
any  company  and  under  any  circumstances,  and  who  will 
not  crimson  their  parents*  cheeks  with  shame  by  their 
rudeness." 

No  visitor  in  Dr.  Jewett's  family  ever  witnessed 
any  disorder   or  trouble   among   the    children,    no 


^30  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

interruption  of  parents  when  talking,  no  lack  of 
harmony  among  themselves ;  nor  did  he  ever  hear 
unkind,  boisterous,  or  defiant  language.  Each 
seemed  to  live  for  the  other,  and  all  the  happier  be- 
cause of  each  other^s  enjoyment.  Within  three  or 
four  years  v/e  heard  the  doctor  refer  to  his  family, 
and  say,  that  "  he  feared  he  was  not  sufficiently 
thankful  to  God  for  the  blessing  enjoyed  in  his  chil- 
dren ;  "  adding,  of  the  six  sons  reared  to  manhood, 
"not  one  of  them,  to  my  knowledge,  ever. drank  a 
swallow  of  intoxicating  liquors,  smoked  a  cigar, 
chewed  a  quid  of  tobacco,  or  uttered  a  profane  oath, 
and  not  one  of  them  ever  gave  me  an  hour's  anxiety 
in  his  life."     Blessed  father  !     Happy  children  ! 

A  unique  and  fascinating  feature  was  imparted  to 
Dr.  Jewett's  home  by  the  decidedly  literary  and 
moral  character  with  which  he  invested  it.  Not 
only  his  strong  affection,  wit,  humor,  ingenuity, 
versatility,  and  tact,  were  called  into  requisition,  but 
his  talents  and  piety  as  well.  His  knowledge  of 
English  and  American  literature,  his  familiarity  with 
science  and  art,  his  acquaintance  with  books,  his 
criticisms  of  authors,  his  discussion  of  the  current 
topics  of  the  day,  his  elocutionary  powers,  his  re- 
markable use  of  Scripture  and  favorite  hymns,  all 
contributed  to  the  enjoyment  and  culture  of  his  fam- 
ily. This  was  one  of  the  attractions  which  induced 
acquaintances  to  ask  a  place  for  their  sons  in  his 
household.  After  he  returned  to  his  home  with  his 
final  sickness,  he  received  a  letter  from  a  refined 
lady  of  his  acquaintance,  asking  a  place  for  her  son 


IN  THE  FAMILY. 


431 


of  sixteen  years,  in  the  coming  spring,  in  his  famil}^ 
Fler  son  was  going  to  college,  and  she  frankly  ex- 
pressed the  opinion  that  the  culture  he  would  receive 
in  the  doctor's  family,  through  the  spring  and  sum- 
mer, would  be  of  more  practical  advantage  to  him 
than  continued  drill  in  the  schoolroom. 

For  several  years  past  Dr.  Jewett  boarded  students 
in  his  family,  Americans,  Chinese,  and  Japanese, 
and  his  moulding  influence  upon  them  was  remark- 
able. They  learned  to  regard  him  with  the  affec- 
tion and  confidence  of  sons.  Two  interesting  Chi- 
nese students  were  members  of  his  family  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  and  they  mourned  for  him  as  sons 
mourn  for  a  father.  A  Japanese  student,  who  Vvas 
a  member  of  his  family  a  few  years  since,  became  a 
strict  teetotaler,  though  no  direct  influence  was 
employed  to  make  him  such.  The  doctor's  mag- 
netic pov/er  unconsciously  caused  him  to  walk  in 
his  steps.  At  the  dinner-table  of  a  distinguished 
public  man,  he  declined  to  sip  the  wine  that  was 
passed,  and  in  his  simple-hearted  honesty,  said, 
''Dr.  Jewett  thinks  that  wine  is  not  only  unnecessary, 
but  perilous,  and  so  I  must  decline  to  take  it."  A 
fine  tribute  to  the  doctor's  influence.  He  nov/  resides 
in  London,  and  in  a  letter  of  lamentation  over  the  doc- 
tor's illness  to  his  daughter,  after  hearing  of  it,  we 
find  this  beautiful  sentiment :  "  Pray  do  not  think  I 
am  forgetting  you  ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  you  and  your 
family  are  often  remembered  and  mentioned  to  my 
heart  by  my  good  friend  whose  name  is  Memory." 

I'he  doctor's  habit  of  quoting  prose  and  poetry  in 


432  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

conversation,  and  reciting  at  length  from  Shake- 
speare, Burns,  and  others,  as  an  exercise  in  elocu- 
tion, was  nowhere  more  conspicuous  than  at  home. 
At  the  table,  in  the  sitting-room  and  garden,  whether 
having  company  or  not,  this  was  a  frequent  exercise. 
V/hole  evenings  at  the  fireside  were  spent  in  this 
way.  Neighbors  and  friends  often  came  in  to  enjoy 
the  entertainment.  And  when  the  young  people  or 
the  older  people  of  the  town  proposed  a  public  en- 
tertainment to  raise  money,  or  for  social  good.  Dr. 
Jewett  must  read  Shakespeare,  recite  Burns,  or  con- 
tribute something  in  his  way,  to  the  interest  of  the 
occasion.  A  citizen  informs  us  that  one  of  his  last 
pubhc  acts  of  this  kind  in  the  town  was  the  recita- 
tion of  Tennyson's  "  Grandmother."  Arrayed  as  an 
ancient  dame,  his  false  teeth  removed  from  his 
m.outh,  his  voice  suggestive  of  feminine  antiquity, 
the  imitation  was  so  nearly  perfect,  that  the  audience 
could  scarcely  believe  they  v/ere  listening  to  a  fa- 
miliar neighbor,  and  a  man  too. 

The  doctor  was  wont  to  draw  out  the  opinions  of 
his  children  relative  to  the  books  they  read,  as  well 
as  a  synopsis  of  the  same.  Also,  to  call  their  atten- 
tion to  the  excellences  "of  certain  writers,  citing 
illustrations  from  their  prose  or  poetry.  At  table, 
and  in  the  family  circle,  he  would  frequently  pro- 
pose that  each  one  should  recite  poetry  upon  a  given 
subject,  as  "  Spring,"  the  "Tempest,"  "Youth,"  from 
any  author  familiar  to  them.  Sometimes  he  would 
give  out  a  subject,  and  request  that  quotations  from 
authors  relating  to  it  be  collected  for  future   use. 


IN  THE  FAMILY.  433 

Often  his  memory  would  furnish  quotations  from  a 
dozen  standard  authors  upon  a  single  subject.  Then 
again,  he  would  recite  and  explain  a  whole  poem, 
showing  its  fine  points,  contrasting  it  with  the  pro- 
ductions of  other  authors  on  the  same  subject,  thus 
occupying  considerable  time  by  the  effort. 

As  Dr.  Jewett  was  necessarily  absent  much  of  his 
time  lecturing  in  different  parts  of  the  country,  let- 
ters to  his  family  were  frequent  and  numerous.  They 
were  characteristic  of  the  man.  He  said  in  letters 
just  what  he  would  have  said  by  voice.  They  were 
penned  for  no  one  but  his  family,  never  dreaming 
that  a  line  of  them  would  be  seen  in  print ;  and  so 
much  the  more  they  show  the  heart  of  the  husband 
and  father.  It  was  a  treat  to  him  to  love  and  to  be 
loved.  To  him  there  was  nothing  unmanly  or  soft 
in  the  frankest  and  freest  expression  of  it,  but  rather 
it  was  ennobling  and  charming.  The  soul  that  did 
not  overflow  with  it  sometimes  was  not  much  of  a 
soul  in  his  estimation.  Hence,  his  letters  home  revel 
in  love.  Through  them  he  saluted,  embraced,  and 
kissed  his  dear  ones.  The  following  extracts  from 
letters  to  his  wife  will  illustrate : 

"  Oh,  how  I  wish  I  could  drop  in  upon  you.  I  want  to 
see  how  you  look  and  manage  as  boss  of  the  whole  con- 
cern. Write  often  and  long.  Reading  letters  from  home 
is  more  than  half  my  comfort.  Tell  me  everything  going 
on  from  attic  to  cellar.  Kiss  Lizzie  for  me"  (she  only 
of  all  the  children  was  at  home)  ;  "  and,  Lizzie,  please 
kiss  your  mother  on  my  account." 

"  I  long  to  get  news  from  the  nest,  and  to  be  assured 
28 


434  ^^^^   O^  CHARLES  JEWETT, 

of  the  continued  health  of  the  old  bird  and  the  young 
ones." 

"  I  thank  you  for  your  kind  wishes  and  earnest  prayers. 
I  have  had  the  benefit  of  both  for  thirty-six  years.  God 
be  thanked  for  my  family !  I  have  no  bank  or  railroad 
stock,  but  my  home  stock  I  can  boast  of  with  a  glad 
heart." 

"  I  am  counting  the  days  and  the  hours  until  I  shall  be 
under  your  care.  I  can  think  of  nothing  so  likely  to  put 
new  strength  and  courage  into  the  old  worn  frame  as  the 
light  of  your  countenance  and  the  ministrations  of  love  by 
you  and  my  dear  daughter,  who,  I  know,  will  do  all  she 
can  for  her  lover  par  excellence^ 

"lam  most  provokingly  disappointed.     I  came  down 

to  take  the  one  o'clock  train  to  N ,  that  I  might  chat 

a   couple   of  hours  with   my  wife  and  children,  and  take 

the  three  o'clock  train  to  M .      The  one  o'clock  train 

has  been  discontinued^  and  I  must  now  whistle  by  you  at 
the  rate  of  twenty  miles  an  hour,  gazing  wistfully,  as  I 
pass,  at  the  little  cottage  which  holds  my  treasure.  I  am 
to  be  with  the  ladies  at  W.  this  evening  at  a  temperance 
levee,  where,  as  the  fair  ones  flaunt  hy  me,  I  shall  in- 
wardly exclaim  with  Robert  Burns: 

'Ye  are  not  Mary  Morrison.' 
Allow  me  to  congratulate  you  on  your  safe  arrival  at  the 
new  home  and  on  your  mother's  improvement  on  the  score 
of  health.  No  other  improvement  is  possible.  My  ov/n 
health  is  by  no  means  perfect.  I  have  trouble  in  the 
region  of  the  heart  in  addition  to  the  old  chronic  com- 
plaint of  depravity." 

''  It  is  but  six  o'clock  in  the  morr/ing,  and  I  hope  that 
you  and  dear  Lizzie  are  still  under  the  blankets,  enjoying 


IN  THE  FAMILY. 


435 


that  sleep  which  is  '  kind  nature's  sweet  restorer/  or  as 
Will  Shakespeare  has  it,  which  *  knits  up  the  ravelled 
sleeve  of  care.'  "... 

"  One  of  the  troubles  I  have  to  contend  with  in  this  sort 
of  labor  is,  to  be  unable  to  communicate  directly  with  my 
family.  Well,  there  is  a  much  worse  trouble  than  that  — 
to  have  no  family  to  communicate  with" 

"  I  am  meeting  with  great  kindness,  and  see  folks 
enough,  in  all  conscience.  But  a  man  who  has  a  wife 
and  children  is  alone  in  a  crowd  when  they  are  far  away." 

"  As  to  considerations  that  may  decide  my  choice  of 
location,  I  cannot  detail  them  with  pen  or  pencil.  They 
must  be  whispered  into  your  private  ear  at  short  range." 

Going  from  place  to  place  so  rapidly.  Dr.  Jewett 
was  often  troubled  about  receiving  his  letters. 

*'  I  am  so  hungry  for  news  from  home  !  *  Any  letter  for 
Dr.  Jewett?'  —  my  heart  all  the  while  beating  at  one  hun- 
dred and  ten  or  thereabouts  with  joyful  expectation.  The 
postmaster  looks  over  the  list,  and,  with  a  coolness  that 
is  absolutely  shocking,  replies,  '  None,  sir,  none.' 

'  From  glorious  height  of  expectation, 
Down  to  the  bottom  of  creation.' 

Down  I  go  with  a  plunge.  A  cold  shower-bath  just  after 
getting  out  of  a  warm  bed,  would  give  you  some  idea  of 
the  eflect." 

To  one  of  his  daughters  he  wrote,  during  the  late 
ci'.'il  war : 

"  Dear  Lizzie  :  I  received  your  excellent  epistle  to- 
day. I  am  quite  obliged  to  you  for  detail  of  matters  about 
home  I  love  the  detail.  With  detail,  I  can  almost  see 
home,  md  see  how  things  look,  while  general  statements 


436  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

are  quite  unsatisfactory.  I  would  kiss  you  in  detail  for 
your  excellent  letter,  but  for  the  great  distance  and  the 
expense  involved  in  bringing  our  lips  together.  With 
yours  and  your  mother's  letters,  I  know  almost  all  about 
you,  though  you  did  not  say  a  word  about  Lucy.  Am  I 
to  understand  that  she  has  married,  and  so  has  ceased  to 
be  a  member  of  the  family.?     Let  me  know  at  once.   .  .  . 

"  The  news  from  the  elections  is  glorious.  Oh,  if  we 
whip  out  the  Copperheads,  and  then  the  rebels,  and  then 
the  rumsellcrs,  and  then,  finally,  or  during  the  struggle, 
all  the  little  devils  that  strive  to  nestle  in  our  own  hearts, 
what  an  everlasting  triumph  we  shall  have  !  Remember 
me  to  all  our  neighbors  and  friends,  and  kiss  your  good 
mother  on  both  cheeks  for  me. 

"  God  bless  and  guide  you  aright.  You  know  the  con- 
ditions—  'Ask,  and  it  shall  be  given  you;  seek,  and  ye 
shall  find ;  knock,  and  it  shall  be  opened.'  No  promise 
of  gifts  unasked  for. 

"  Love  to  Lucy,  and  a  big  lump  for  yourself,  from 
*'  Your  affectionate 

Father.'* 

Dr.  Jevvett  employed  satire  with  great  effect  at 
times.  In  a  letter  to  his  other  daughter,  who  was 
absent  in  Chicago,  in  1870,  he  employed  it  upon  the 
forthcoming  Musical  Jubilee  in  New  York  city, 
where  he  was  editing  the  Temperance  Advocate.  It 
appeared  ridiculous  to  him  to  employ  anvils,  cannon,' 
and  the  explosion  of  rocks  in  Hell  Gate,  and  call  it  a 
"  Musical  Festival ;  "  and  so  he  "  took  off"  the  affair 
thus : 

"  Lizzie  is  absen':  at  a  Vehearsal  of  oratorios  for  the 
great  Babel  of  noise,  alias  the  coming  Musical  Festival. 
Beside  the  trumpets,  big  drums,  anvils,  and  heavy  artii- 


IN  THE  FAMILY.  437 

lery,  there  are  to  be  forty  cats,  with  a  sprnig  patent 
clothes-pin  on  the  tail  of  each,  attached  side  by  side  to  a 
twenty-foot  pole,  and  j^laced  just  over  the  orchestra.  On 
the  edge  of  the  front  gallery,  at  a  distance  of  one  yard 
from  each  other,  will  be  placed  one  hundred  and  fifteen 
screech-owls,  and  twenty  fat  Dutch-women,  w^eighing  one 
hundred  and  eighty  pounds  each,  are  to  spank  an  equal 
number  of  babies,  under  the  special  leadership  of  a  great 
musical  genius  just  imported  from  Kam-Scal-ca  for  this 
great  occasion.  Twentj^-seven  experienced  gentlemen  are 
to  file  saws  of  the  largest  saw-mill  pattern,  as  an  accom- 
paniment to  a  quartette  of  four  lumber-wagon  wheels  re- 
volving on  dry  axles.  The  last  performance  of  the  great » 
occasion  will  be  distinguished  by  the  screaming  of  all  the 
aforesaid  instruments,  aiding  the  trained  voices  of  all  the 
prima-donnas  to  the  number  of  three  thousand,  with  the 
simultaneous  screaming  of  the  whistles  from  the  East 
River  tug-boats,  and  will  conclude  by  the  explosion  of 
forty  tons  of  powder  in  the  big  rock  at  Hell  Gate.  The 
excavation  in  the  rock  is  nearly  completed,  but  the  explo- 
sive material  will  not  be  placed  in  situation  until  the  day 
before  the  explosion.  The  hulk  of  a  dismantled  man-of- 
war,  loaded  with  Chinese  fire-crackers,  will  be  anchored 
over  the  rock,  and  will  be  fired  by  the  same  electric  dis- 
charge which  will  explode  the  contents  of  the  great  rock. 
Don't  you  wish  you  could  be  in  New  York  on  that  orful 
occasion?" 

Dr.  Jewett  held  "  the  fashions  "  in  contempt.  He 
never  spent  much  time  at  the  toilet  himself,  as  all 
his  friends  know  very  well.    In  one  letter  he  wrote : 

"  You  spoke  of  material  for  a  dress.  What  kind  would 
you  like.'*  If  you  wish  it  to  be  sent  so  that  you  can  make 
it  up  immediately,  I  will  buy  and  forward  it  at  once. 


438  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

Don't,  for  pity's  sake,  decency's  sake,  and  my  sake,  allow 
the  cry,  '  It's  the  fashion,'  lead  you  to  tolerate  the  drag- 
gling skirt  abomination.  I  beg  pardon  for  admitting  the 
possibility  of  such  an  outrage  on  propriety  by  your  con- 
sent ;  but  I  know  how  tailors  and  dressmakers  clamor  for 
*  the  fashions.'  " 

To  one  of  his  sons,  about  to  engage  as  a  clerk, 
he  wrote : 

*'  If  you  have  commenced  service  with  Mr.  C,  spare 
no  pains  to  render  yourself  so  useful  that  he  cannot  do 
without  you,  and  there  is  no  danger  that  you  will  be  out 
of  business.  It  will  be  a  line  school,  in  which  you  can 
perfect  yourself  in  the  practical  affairs  of  the  counting- 
room,  so  as  to  qualify  yourself  for  some  more  responsible 
position.  Spare  no  pains,  as  you  love  your  father,  to 
render  the  situation  of  your  excellent  mother  as  pleas- 
ant as  possible.  The  tendency  in  your  nature  that  you 
will  have  the  most  difficulty  in  controlling  and  keep- 
ing in  a  proper  state  of  subordination  to  reason  and  con- 
science, will  grow  out  of  your  strong  social  nature.  You 
came  very  honestly  by  it,  for  it  was  your  father's  besetting 
sin ;  and  had  I  not  labored  to  control  it,  it  would  have 
been  much  in  the  way  of  my  advancement  and  success  in 
business.  When  I  was  in  the  Medical  College  at  Pitts- 
field,  Mass.,  though  often  invited,  I  did  not  spend  half  a 
dozen  evenings  in  social  parties  during  the  two  winters 
I  spent  there.  It  was  a  great  self-denial ;  but  I  knew  that 
if  I  gave  way  to  my  social  feelings,  it  would  block  my 
way  to  success  by  interfering  with  my  studies,  diverting 
my  thoughts  therefrom,  &c.  A  knowledge  of  our  weak 
points,  or  strong  tendencies,  will  enable  us,  with  propei 
decision,  to  keep  all  right.  I  advise  you  to  read  John 
Foster's  essay  on  '  Decision  of  Character.'     It  is  admira- 


/iV  THE  FAMILY. 


439 


ble.  Every  young  man  and  young  woman,  sufficiently 
developed  mentally  to  understand  him,  should  read  Foster. 
Do  not  spend  your  time  in  reading  novels.  If  you  in- 
dulge at  all  in  reading  works  of  fiction,  read  the  works  of 
Sir  Walter  Scott,  Goldsmith,  The  Scottish  Chiefs,  and  the 
works  of  Dickens.  Woiks  of  fiction  should,  however, 
form  but  a  small  part  of  a  young  man's  reading.  His- 
tory, philosophy,  biography,  travels,  and  scientific  works, 
—  these  should  form  the  staple  of  a  young  man's  reading. 
Study  the  poets  some,  —  Shakespeare,  Milton,  Gray, 
Burns,  &c.,  —  and  the  Word  of  God  daily." 

To  his  son  preparing  for  college,  he  closed  a  lov- 
ing letter  thus  : 

"  Let  me  know  your  wishes  always  without  any  reserve  ; 
and  be  assured  I  shall  always  do  my  best  to  serve  ,one 
whose  entire  character  and  course  have  thus  far  met  the 
approbation  of  your  parents,  who  are  pretty  exacting,  and 
in  whose  present  promise  of  a  respectable  and  useful 
future  we  have  so  much  grounds  for  confidence." 

"  They  [parents]  in  their  children  lived  a  second  life  ; 
With  them  again  took  root ;  sprang  with  their  hopes  ; 
Entered  into  their  schemes  ;  partook  their  fears  ; 
Laughed  in  their  mirth  ;  and  in  their  gain  grew  rich." 

POLLOK. 

**  God  bless  and  prosper  you,  is  the  earnest  prayer  of 
"  Your  earthly  father, 

C.  Jewett." 

It  will  be  seen  that  Dr.  Jewett  made  the  Bible  a 
guide  in  the  family  as  he  did  in  the  temperance 
reform.  All  interests  clustered  about  it.  All  coun- 
sels and  authority  were  derived  from  it,  or  were  in 


440  LTFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

harmony  with  it.  It  was  not  only  read,  but  studied. 
It  had  its  place  not  only  in  family  devotion,  but  it 
was  treated  as  by  far  the  most  important  book  of 
reference  in  the  house.  Much  of  it  was  treasured 
in  the  doctor's  memory,  and  quotations  therefrom 
were  as  likely  to  add  variety  to  intercourse  at  the 
table,  or  the  interchange  of  thoughts  on  diilerent 
subjects  at  other  times,  as  quotations  from  the  poets. 
Indeed  the  doctor  was  wont  to  recite  portions  of  it, 
as  he  recited  Shakespeare,  to  show  its  dramatic 
power.  He  maintained  that  it  was  unequalled  in 
this  respect. 

Dr.  Jewett  signed  his  letters  in  a  great  variety  of 
ways.  Not  only  his  character,  but  his  feelings  and 
mental  moods,  were  indicated  to  the  family  by  these 
signatures.  Wisdom,  wit,  humor,  tact,  love,  impa- 
tience, confidence,  piety,  mind,  heart,  soul  —  all 
appear  in  them. 

"Yours  since  1828,  only  more  so."   (Time  of  betrothal.) 
"Yours,  as  on  the  5th  of  May,  1830."     (Time  of  mar- 
riage.) 

"  Yours,  in  love  and  much  weakness." 

"Yours,  altogether,  entirely." 

"  Yours  always." 

"  Yours,  feeble,  but  hopeful." 

"  Yours,  jubilant." 

"  Much  love  equitably  distributed." 

"  Yours,  tried  and  troubled." 

To  his  wife,  when  expecting  her  to  meet  him  at 
a  given  place,  he  closed  a  note  thus  : 


IN  THE   FAMILY.  .^^l 

*'  Don't  try  to  get  everything  '  fixed  '  before  you  start. 
"  'Just  2lS  you  are^  without  one  plea.'  " 

-  C.  J." 
Writing  to  a  friend  to  whom  he  felt  under  great 
obligations,  he  signed  himself: 

''  Yours,  fraternally,  externally,  internally,  and  eternally. 

"  C.  Jewett." 

We  have  given  but  a  glance  at  Dr.  Jewetts  corre- 
spondence. The  variety  of  subjects  upon  w^hich  he 
treated  in  his  letters  is  wonderful,  perhaps  a  dozen 
topics  in  a  single  letter.  Theology,  science,  art, 
mechanics,  farming,  apparel,  cows,  vegetables, 
grain,  books,  schools,  fruit,  liberty,  slavery,  the 
country,  temperance,  government,  and  too  many 
more  to  be  named,  are  all  treated  of,  often,  in  sin- 
gular juxtaposition. 


^^2  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT, 


XXII. 

DR.  JEWETT  IN  THE  CHURCH. 

DR.  JEWETT  loved  the  church.  To  him  it  was 
indeed  a  sacred  institution  —  God's  "  human 
agency  for  the  conversion  of  the  world."  He  denied 
that  the  church  had  any  weapons  of  defence.  He 
claimed  that  her  weapons  were  those  of  aggression  ; 
that  it  was  her  duty  to  assault  sin,  and  not  stand  on 
the  defensive  against  it.  Hence  he  maintained  that 
the  church  should  be  foremost  in  every  necessary 
reform ;  that  she  was  not  only  delinquent,  but  dis- 
loyal whenever  and  wherever  she  failed  to  take  this 
position. 

He  possessed  qualities  that  made  him  efficient 
in  the  church.  He  was  a  live  member.  His  na- 
tive reverence  was  large.  In  certain  localities, 
where  Nature  appeared  in  her  grandeur,  he  felt  like 
uncovering  his  head,  as  he  did  in  a  house  of  wor- 
ship. When  practising  medicine  in  Greenwich  and 
Warwick,  R.  I.,  he  occasionally  passed  a  high  rock, 
situated  in  a  romantic  spot,  where  he  felt  constrained 
to  alight,  uncover  his  head,  and  pray,  before  passing 
on.  This  was  his  almost  invariable  custom  as  he 
went  that  way,  enjoying  it  most  at  night,  when  a 


DR,   JEWETT  IN  THE   CHURCH.  443 

deeper  and  more  impressive  silence  pervaded  the 
scene.  Here  is  the  proof  of  a  born  element  of  char- 
acter that  early  made  him  a  hopeful  subject  of  divine 
gr-^ce,  and  thereafter  was  prominent  in  his  Christian 
experience  and  work.  He  once  thrilled  an  audience 
in  the  city  of  Providence,  b}^  saying,  in  his  impres- 
sive way,  "  I  thank  God  for  bringing  me  into  this 
beautiful  world  of  His,  even  if  there  were  no  here- 
after. I  have  enjoyed  so  much  that  my  heart  swells 
with  gratitude  to  Him  daily." 

Dr.  Jewett  was  a  sph'ttual  Christian.  A  common 
opinion  is,  that  a  radical  man  cannot  be  a  spiritual 
man.  But  Dr.  Jewett  was  both.  He  ever  main- 
tained the  most  radical  views  as  to  the  removal  of 
slavery,  intemperance,  and  other  evils.  He  held 
that  the  Bible  taught  total  abstinence  and  prohibi- 
tion of  the  sale  of  intoxicating  beverages ;  that 
Christ  preached  and  practised  total  abstinence,  and 
did  not  make  alcoholic  wine  at  the  marriage  of  Cana, 
or  use  it  when  he  instituted  the  supper ;  and  that 
his  followers  are  in  duty  bound  to  discard  the  use  of 
all  intoxicating  beverages,  under  all  circumstances. 
The  follow^ing  quotation  shows  his  position  exactly : 

"  When  the  mind  of  the  Christian  man  is  enlightened 
on  the  subject,  he  can  no  more  put  alcoholic  liquor  in  his 
stomach,  and  keep  a  conscience  void  of  offence,  than  he 
could  swallow  daily  a  moderate  dose  of  any  other  poison. 
All  the  discussion  as  to  whether  it  be  a  sin  per  se  to  drink 
a  glass  of  alcoholic  wine,  is  a  waste  of  breath.  The  an- 
swer to  two  simple  questions  will  settle  the  matter :  Is 
alcohol   a  poison,  at  war  with  vitality?     If  so,  does  the 


444  L^^^  ^^  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

Christian  man  know  the  fact?  If  he  is  acquainted  with 
that  fact,  he  compromises  his  Christian  character  if  he 
meddles  with  it,  unless  prescribed  by  some  medical  ad- 
viser." 

Nothing  grieved  him  more  than  to  see  professing 
Christians  lending  the  power  of  example  to  wine- 
drinking  ;  and  ministers,  Christian  editors,  and  lay- 
men, supporting,  directly  or  indirectly,  the  drinking 
customs,  and  interpreting  the  Scriptures  to  favor  the 
same.  It  seemed  to  him  one  of  the  gravest  offences 
for  a  man  to  use  the  Bible  to  support  even  the  small- 
est evil.  "  If  anything  is  wrong,  rum-selling  and 
rum-drinking  are  wrong,"  he  claimed;  "and  the 
Bible  is  opposed  to  all  that  is  wrong."  Hence,  he 
grieved  when  the  Bible  was  used,  indirectly  even, 
to  sustain  wine-drinking.  Once  he  was  delivering 
a  course  of  lectures  in  a  town  where  he  unwittingly 
wounded  two  or  three  church-members  by  his  criti- 
cisms. It  was  suggested  to  him  that  he  smooth  the 
matter  over  at  his  next  lecture.  How  well  he  re- 
duced the  suggestion  to  practice  may  be  learned 
from  his  words.  "I  do  solemnly  aver,"  he  said  to 
his  audience,  "  that  I  did  not  know  there  was  a 
drunkard  in  this  church." 

About  being  radical,  we  have  heard  him  say, 
"Christ  was  the  most  radical  person  who  ever  lived. 
He  condemned  sin  in  every  form.  He  never  com- 
promised with  it — he  fought  it.  He  always  'laid 
the  axe  at  the  root'  of  every  evil.  He  used  no 
temporizing  policy.  We  are  not  as  radical  as  Christ 
was,  though  we  ought  to  be." 


DR.  JEWETT  IN  THE   CHURCH.  445 

He  believed  fully  in  the  power  of  the  cross,  and 
the  duty  of  personal  consecration  to  Christ.  Public 
"worship,  the  prayer-meeting,  and  all  means  of  grace, 
were  helps  to  this  end.  The  one  leading  thought 
and  desire  of  his  heart  was,  that  his  children  should 
early  come  to  Christ ;  and  his  joy  seemed  to  be  com- 
plete when  the  last  one  of  his  large  family  became 
a  Christian,  and  united  with  the  church. 

Though  giving  his  life  to  the  cause  of  temperance, 
his  heart  was  deeply  interested  in  every  benevolent 
enterprise  and  work  of  the  church.  Missions,  for- 
eign and  domestic,  found  in  him  an  earnest  friend 
and  champion.  He  always  kept  posted,  too,  upon 
the  grand  work  of  evangelizing  the  world ;  and  no 
class  of  pious  workers  shared  his  reverence  and 
sympathies  more  than  missionaries.  If  the  whole 
membership  of  the  churches  of  our  country  should 
contribute  as  largely  as  the  doctor  did,  in  proportion 
to  property,  to  carry  forward  the  work  of  missions, 
there  would  be  no  lack  of  money. 

Revivals  of  religion  appealed  to  his  spiritual  emo- 
tions. He  believed  in  them,  and  was  never  happier 
than  when  he  was  permitted  to  participate  in  pro- 
moting them. 

He  was  a  man  of  -prayer.  Not  simply  as  a  duty, 
but  as  a  privilege,  he  valued  prayer.  Indeed,  more 
than  that;  he  regarded  it  as  an  absolute  necessity 
to  the  Christian.  "  Prayer  is  the  Christian's  vital 
breath,"  —  he  believed  it  with  all  his  heart.  And 
he  carried  everything  to  God  in  prayer. 

He   was    a   conscientious    professor    of    religion. 


4^6  L^FE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

Hugh  Miller  said  of  the  honest  mason  with  whom 
he  served  his  apprenticeship,  "He  put  his  conscience 
into  every  stone  that  he  laid."  That  is  the  sort  of 
conscientiousness  that  characterized  Dr.  Jewetfs 
piety. 

His  submission  under  trial  was  always  noticeable. 
A  clerg3^man  writes  : 

"  He  was  at  my  house  after  he  had  lost  all  his  property 
—  property  upon  which  he  was  depending  for  support  in 
his  old  age.  His  contentment  and  cheerfulness  under  the 
loss  surprised  me.  I  have  often  thought  of  it  since.  It 
certainly  taught  me  a  lesson  of  trust  in  Providence  which 
I  never  have  forgotten." 

Concerning  that  trial  he  wrote  to  Mrs.  Jewett  (in 
addition  to  a  letter  quoted  in  a  former  chapter)  : 

"  Evidently,  Providence  does  not  mean  that  I  shall  be 
rich,  but  have  just  enough  to  live  on  daily.  God  says, 
Trust  in  me  ;  go  on  with  your  work,  and  verily  thou  shalt 
be  fed  !     That  is  good." 

Other  pages  show  his  hearty  submission  under 
severe  afflictions.  He  believed  that  Divine  grace 
was  just  as  ample  for  heavy  sorrows  as  for  light 
ones. 

With  all  this  experience  he  nevertheless  had  a 
very  humble  view  of  his  own  Christian  attainments. 
One  of  the  poetic  quotations  that  he  was  wont  to 
use  related  to  his  coming  to  Christ,  and  is  expres- 
sive of  the  spirit  in  question.     It  was  from  Cowper : 

"  I  was  a  stricken  deer  that  left  the  herd 
Long  since  ;  with  many  an  arrow  deep  infix'd 


DR.  JEWETT  IN  THE   CHURCH.  447 

My  panting  side  was  charged,  when  I  withdrew, 
To  seek  a  tranquil  death  in  distant  shades  ; 
There  was  I  found  by  One  who  had  himself 
Been  hurt  by  the  archers.     In  his  side  he  bore, 
And  in  his  hands  and  feet,  the  cruel  scars. 
With  gentle  force  soliciting  the  darts, 
He  drew  them  forth,  and  heal'd,  and  bade  me  live." 

A  note  from  his  pastor,  Rev.  C.  T.  Weitzel,  says  : 

"  Paul's  description  of  the  true  Christian  —  '  Not 
tflothful  in  business,  fervent  in  spirit,  serving  the  Lord,' 
^night  be  applied  with  singular  appropriateness  to 
Dr.  Jewett.  Conspicuous  among  his  rare  qualities  was  a 
Paul-like  singleness  of  aim.  He  was,  in  a  noble  sense,  a 
*  man  of  one  idea,'  in  the  same  sense  in  which  Paul  was 
that,  when,  in  preaching  to  the  Corinthians,  he  determined 
not  to  know  anything  save  Jesus  Christ,  and  him  crucified. 

"  Dr.  Jewett's  success  was  also  due  in  no  small  degree 
to  his  knowledge  of  human  nature,  his  uncommon  skill 
in  approaching  men  of  all  kinds,  his  mastery  of  the  sub- 
ject to  which  his  life  was  devoted,  and  his  abounding 
good-humor  and  courtesy  under  all  circumstances.  This 
last  did  his  cause  incalculable  service  in  rendering  accept- 
able Dr.  Jewett's  bold,  uncompromising  utterance  of 
truth  as  he  saw  it. 

"  Above  all,  he  was  a  whole-souled  Christian  ;  and,  as 
he  approached  his  end,  he  might  well  have  said  with  the 
apostle,  '  I  have  fought  a  good  fight,  I  have  finished  my 
course,  I  have  kept  the  faith.*  " 


^^8  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 


XXIII. 

SICKNESS  AND  DEATH. 

ON  the  fifteenth  of  November,  1878,  Dr.  Jewett 
left  home  for  a  brief  lectm-ing  tour  in  Penn- 
sylvania. He  was  in  a  better  physical  condition, 
apparently,  than  he  had  enjoyed  for  two  or  three 
years,  since  he  had  not  spoken  in  public  for  several 
months,  and  had  exercised  freely  in  the  open  air. 
He  delivered  but  few  lectures,  however,  before  the 
"  old  enemy  "  (as  he  called  the  heart-disease)  as- 
saulted him  seriously.  .Medical  aid,  however,  re- 
lieved him  so  much  that  he  was  able  to  return  to  his 
home  in  Norwich  Town,  Conn.,  which  he  reached 
December  8th. 

His  family  physician  administered  amyle  at  once, 
to  expand  the  muscles  and  arteries,  that  the  move 
ment  of  the  heart  might  be  easier.  The  effect  of 
this  medicine  was  magical.  Under  its  influence.  Dr. 
Jewett  improved  so  rapidly  that  hopes  of  his  restora- 
tion were  entertained. 

In  January,  however,  the  disease  assumed  so 
serious  an  aspect,  that  he  could  not  lie  down,  or 
sleep  in  a  chair,  only  as  anodynes  were  adminis- 
tered.    His  two  sons  in  Minnesota  were  summoned 


SICKNESS  AND  DEATH.  ^^p 

by  telegram ;  and  the  eldest  remained  with  him 
until  his  death. 

The  son  put  up  a  rest,  consisting  of  a  bar  across 
the  bed  of  such  a  height  that  his  father,  bolstered 
up  in  bed,  could  throw  his  arms  over  it,  and,  with 
a  pillow,  be  far  more  comfortable  than  was  possible 
in  a  chair,  and  obtain  more  sleep.  Dr.  Jewett  was 
removed  to  the  bed,  w^here  he  occupied  the  sitting 
posture  until  he  died,  on  the  third  day  of  April. 

He  was  better  and  worse  alternately,  often  suffer- 
ing more  than  language  can  describe.  In  these 
paroxysms  of  pain  his  stalwart  frame  seemed  to 
writhe  and  rally  itself  as  if  waging  a  successful 
contest  with  death.  One  day,  in  his  anguish,  he 
exclaimed  to  his  wife,  "Oh,  what  must  have  been 
the  agony  of  Christ?  This  is  agony.  His  was 
much  more.     But  I  must  learn  to  bear  it." 

His  sufferings  were  so  intense,  that  for  days  his 
teeth  would  strike  together  so  as  to  be  heard  across 
the  room.  Dr.  Peck  remarked,  "  He  literally 
gnashes  his  teeth  with  agony." 

On  the  eighth  day  of  March  he  felt  that  the  strug- 
gle would  soon  be  over,  and  expressed  a  desire  to 
see  all  the  members  of  the  family,  and  to  say  his 
last  words.  His  wafe  expressed  the  hope  that  he 
might  be  spared  yet  longer  to  the  family ;  to  which 
he  replied  :  "  Perhaps  I  may ;  but  if  I  say  what  I 
wish  to  say  now,  I  shall  be  all  ready."  Then,  in 
the  most  tender  and  happy  manner,  without  a  tear 
moistening  his  eye,  he  addressed  his  wife,  referring 
to  their  long  and  happy  union,  the  goodness  of  God 
29 


^50  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

to  their  large  family,  and  the  prospect  of  a  speedy 
reunion  in  heaven. 

In  like  manner,  also,  he  addressed  his  two  daugh- 
ters and  son  separately,  speaking  of  things  peculiar 
to  the  experience  of  each  one,  and  pouring  forth  his 
gratitude  that  all  of  them  were  devoted  followers  of 
Christ. 

He  gave  directions  about  his  funeral,  and  ex- 
pressed the  wish  to  be  buried  in  the  family  lot  in 
Lisbon,  eight  miles  distant.  He  spoke  of  the 
funeral  services,  and  requested  that  his  friend,  the 
author,  with  whom  he  had  labored  so  much,  should 
be  invited  to  address  the  assembly.  Then,  leaving 
his  "love"  for  several  dear  absent  ones,  he  kissed 
each  member  of  the  family,  and,  exhausted  by  the 
effort,  reposed  his  head  upon  the  rest,  as  much  as 
to  say,  "All  ready." 

Thus  closed  an  unusual  scene,  the  occurrence  of 
which,  in  its  grave,  peaceful,  happy  details,  were 
impossible  outside  the  Christian  faith.  Not  a  tear 
was  shed  by  a  person  present;  not  a  word  was 
spoken,  except  in  a  calm,  cheerful  voice.  As  if 
their  loss  were  his  unspeakable  "gain,"  loving  hearts 
rose  higher  than  personal  sorrow,  and  smiled  their 
joy  at  his  glorious  victory  over  death  and  the  grave. 
It  was  the  triumph  of  Christian  faith  on  both  sides, 
when  tears  seemed  out  of  harmony  with  that  exult- 
ant joy  that  could  say,  "For  me  to  live  is  Christ,  and 
to  die  is  gain." 

Subsequently  his  mind  wandered,  and  at  times  he 
was  very  delirious,  requiring  both  tact  and  strength 


SICKNESS  AND  DEATH. 


451 


to  control  him,  although  he  was  still  compelled  to 
occupy  a  sitting  posture  in  bed,  and  was  of  course 
exhausted  and  weak. 

The  last  time  that  he  conducted  family  devotions 
(and  it  was  at  his  own  request) ,  his  wife  passed  him 
the  Bible,  when,  adjusting  his  spectacles,  he  opened 
to  the  eleventh  chapter  of  Matthew,  and  read,  in 
quite  a  strong  voice,  the  last  three  verses,  namely : 
"Come  unto  me,  ah  ye  that  labor,  and  are  heavy 
laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest.  Take  my  yoke  upon 
you,  and  learn  of  me  ;  for  I  am  meek  and  lowly  of 
heart;  and  ye  shall  find  rest  unto  your  souls.  For 
my  yoke  is  easy,  and  my  burden  is  light." 

He  closed  the  book,  and  passed  it  to  Mrs.  Jewett, 
at  the  same  time  removing  his  spectacles.  Waiting, 
thoughtfully,  a  moment,  he  said,  "  Let  me  see  that 
again.''  Mrs.  Jewett  passed  him  the  Bible  again. 
Readjusting  his  spectacles,  he  opened  it,  and  re-read 
the  passages,  remarking  as  he  returned  the  book, 
"Blessed  words  !  blessed  words  !  "  Bowing  his  head 
upon  the  bar  in  front  of  him,  he  led  in  prayer  audi- 
bly, and  with  the  beautiful  simplicity  of  a  child. 
He  prayed  that  God  would  bless  the  remedies  used 
for  his  restoration,  if  best ;  make  him  submissive 
and  patient  in  suffering,  and  prepare  the  loved  ones 
for  His  will. 

Dr.  Jewett  had  expressed  the  wish  that  "  he  might 
pass  away  without  a  hard  struggle ;  "  and  he  died, 
about  nine  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  April  3d,  1879. 

The  news  of  his  death  was  telegraphed  over  the 
country,  and  the  public  journals  paid  noble  tributes 


452  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

to  his  memory.  From  Maine  to  Minnesota  the 
tidings  were  received  by  a  host  of  friends  with  sad- 
dened hearts ;  and  at  hundreds  of  family  altars  the 
afflicted  household  was  remembered  with  tears  and 
fervent  prayers.  Letters  of  sympathy  and  condo- 
lence came  to  the  stricken  ones  from  near  and  far. 
In  Great  Britain,  also,  the  news  of  his  death  was 
received  with  demonstrations  of  sorrow ;  and  the 
English  press  spoke  in  the  highest  terms  of  his  life 
and  character. 

Even  before  his  death,  when  the  news  of  his  sick- 
ness was  telegraphed  over  the  country,  letters  of 
friendship  and  profound  sympathy  to  him  were  re- 
ceived from  individuals,  temperance  conventions, 
and  societies,  churches,  and  other  bodies.  An  un- 
usual scene  transpired  in  the  Pilgrim  Church  of  Cam- 
bridgeport,  Mass.,  on  the  Sabbath  evening  before 
the  doctor's  death.  The  house  was  crowded  to  its 
utmost  capacity,  and  some  reference  being  made  to 
Dr.  Jewetfs  labors,  as  well  as  to  the  fact,  that  if  liv- 
ing, he  was  nigh  unto  death,  the  service  was  turned 
sympathetically  into  one  of  commemoration  of  his 
great  life-work.  It  was  thought  to  be  one  of  the 
most  interesting  and  profitable  meetings  ever  held  in 
he  church ;  and  it  closed  by  a  vote  to  instruct  the 
clerk  to  send  the  following  telegram  to  Dr.  Jewett 
early  on  Monday  morning  : 

"  Dr.  Charles  Jewett. 

"  Dear  and  Respected  Friend :  Our  hearts  are  with 
you,  and  our  prayers  ascend  for  you." 


SICKNESS  AND  DEATH. 


453 


The  motion  to  send  the  telegram  was  adopted  by 
the  entire  assembly  rising,  presenting  a  scene  of 
profound  interest,  consecrated  by  many  tears. 

We  regret  that  a  large  number  of  letters,  resolu- 
tions by  temperance  organizations  and  other  bodies, 
and  tributes  of  public  journals,  that  we  selected  for 
insertion  here,  must  be  omitted,  as  already  our  space 
is  fully  occupied,  excepting  only  the  following 
poem  from  Dr.  Jewett's  old  friend,  George  S.  Bur- 
leigh, the  poet : 

CHARLES   JEWETT. 
Born  September  5,  1807.    Died  April  3,  1879. 

A  noble  life,  well  rounded  to  its  goal ! 

A  gallant  race  well  run  ! 
I  see  the  crowning  of  a  worthy  soul; 

I  hear  the  sweet  "  Well  done, 
Faithful  and  true,  unbettered  by  the  best 
For  loyal  service.     Enter  into  rest !  " 

If  they  may  sorrow  who  have  lost  a  friend, 

Then  all  things  pure  and  glad 
Shall  be  his  mourners.    Champions  who  defend 

The  innocent,  wronged  or  sad, 
Truth's  lover  and  Virtue's  guardian,  by  whose  side 
His  keen  steel  flashed,  will  weep  that  he  has  died. 

But,  if  the  fulfilled  stature  of  a  man, 

That,  like  a  star,  defies 
The  blight  of  years,  —  a  heart  whose  clear  blood  ran 

For  truth  that  never  dies,  — 
May  lift  a  proud  love  o'er  the  shafts  of  loss. 
Then  this  man's  life  shall  crown  our  sorrow's  cross  ! 


454 


LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 


A  loving  life,  that  made  home  beautiful 

With  more  than  wealth  could  buy  ; 
A  life  of  service  to  the  golden  rule 

That  wheels  the  orbs  on  high,  — 
By  all  that  sweetened  his  own  hearth's  delight, 
Sent  forth  to  rescue  withered  homes  from  blight. 

World's  honors,  incense  of  the  flattering  crowd  ; 

The  market's  ghttering  prize  ; 
Civic  or  martial  wTeaths,  the  garlands  proud 

That  tempt  Ambition's  eyes  ; 
Though  clear  within  his  ample  grasp,  apart 
From  his  high  task  drev/  not  his  steadfast  heart. 

Above  the  lute  of  pleasure,  and  theclang 

Of  clarions  blown  for  fame, 
The  long,  shrill  shriek  of  murdered  mothers  rang ; 

The  wail  of  orphans  came  ; 
With  sob  and  curse,  and  idiot  laugh  and  whine 
Of  manhood  blasted  in  the  drench  of  wine  ! 

Behind  the  sceptre  and  the  shield  of  law, 

Counting  their  bloody  gain. 
The  gloating  villains  of  this  woe  he  saw, 

Caressed  by  Fashion's  train  ! 
Then  rose  the  Hero,  sank  all  soft  desire. 
His  eye  was  lightning,  and  his  blood  was  fire ! 

Then  his  long  war  of  "  forty  years  "  began. 

On  Virtue's  deadliest  foes  ; 
Flashed  his  wit's  falchion  in  the  battle's  van, 

Fast  fell  his  broadsword  blows, 
And  his  keen  scalpel's  pitiless  surgery 
Let  slip  the  wind  of  many  a  bloated  lie  ! 

On,  in  the  darkness,  faithful  as  in  light; 

If  earth  below  grew  black, 
God  overhead  was  everlasting  Might 

To  him,  who  turned  not  back  ! 


SICKAmSS  AND  DEATH. 


455 


On,  never  resting,  till  that  great  heart's  tide 
Broke  its  own  barriers,  and  he  sank  and  died  ! 

Here  drop  the  curtain,  looking  up  through  tears 

For  light  of  larger  faith. 
To  see  the  harvest  of  his  all-ripe  years 

Sown  by  the  Angel  Death  : 
For  a  true  life  goes  broadening  from  the  grave, 
Through  untold  time,  to  bless,  inspire,  and  save. 

The  funeral  services  took  place  in  the  Congrega- 
tional Church,  at  Norwich  Town,  Conn.,  on  Satur- 
day, April  6,  at  ii  o'clock  a.  m..  Rev.  Messrs. 
Weitzel,  Davies,  and  Thayer  officiating ;  the  latter 
delivering  the  address.  Mr.  Thayer  closed  his  re- 
marks as  follows  : 

"  To  me,  the  sadness  of  this  hour  is  relieved  by  the 
grandeur  of  the  life  that  has  closed.  I  know  what  I  am 
saying  when  I  use  that  word,  grandeur.  The  career  of  a 
man  consecrating  himself  to  the  defence  of  a  principle 
for  half  a  century,  regardless  of  reward  or  fame,  intent 
only  upon  the  triumph  of  his  cause  as  a  boon  to  suffering 
humanity,  is  both  exceptional  and  grand.  In  comparison 
with  the  ambitious  contests  for  distinction  in  field  or 
senate,  and  even  in  the  schools  of  science  and  halls  of 
learning,  it  is  godlike.  Divested  of  those  selfish  aims 
which  mar  the  world,  and  animated  with  the  Christian 
spirit  that  was  in  the  Master,  such  a  life  challenges  the 
admiration  of  men.  Thus,  our  dear  friend  and  stalwart 
reformer  of  his  day  has  closed  his  earthly  mission,  and 
passed  on  like  a  conqueror  that  he  was ;  and  never,  never 
could  a  ransomed  spirit  at  the  gates  of  immortality  more 
appropriately  adopt  the  apostle's  language  of  triumph  : 
*I   have   fought  a  good    fight' — who  will  deny  it.? — 'X 


456  LIFE  OF    CHARLES  JEV^ETT. 

have  finished  my  course' — rounded  it  like  an  orb.  'I 
have  kept  the  faith ' —-'true  to  the  end.  'Henceforth,* 
through  eternity,  '  there  is  laid  up  for  me '  —  all  ready, 
waiting  for  bis  coming  —  'a  crown  of  righteousness  '  — 
not  of  flowers  that  fade,  nor  of  diamonds  that  perish,  but 
of  everlasting  purity  — '  which  the  Lord,  the  righteous 
Judge'  —  not  mortal  friends  like  himself,  but  the  Lord  of 
glory,  to  whom  he  prayed  in  his  extreme  suffering  one 
day,  "  O  Thou,  who  knovvest  what  agony  is,  help  me  to 
bear  it," —  '  He  shall  give  me  at  that  day  '  —  without  one 
doubt.  Glorious  end  of  his  earthly  life  !  Thrice  glorious 
beginning  of  his  immortal  life  !  " 

The   following   hymn,   written  for  the  occasion, 
with  the  benediction,  closed  the  solemn  ceremonies  : 

"  Rest,  Christian  worker  !  sweetly  rest 

From  age  and  cares,  and  toils  and  fears ; 
In  life-long  labors,  wrought  and  blest, 
Thy  seventy  are  a  hundred  years  ! 

"Men  die;  but  truth,  like  God,  lives  on, 
Victorious  through  the  mortal  strife. 
Thy  cause,  O  worker  !  is  at  dawn, 
Instinct  with  an  immortal  life  ! 

"  Well  done.     The  Father  calls  thee.     Go  ; 
'Tis  ours  to  worship  and  adore, 
Glad  that  we  had  thee  long  below, 
We  weep  to  see  thy  face  no  more. 

"  Great  God  !  before  thy  throne  we  bow. 
Thou  lent  us  this  dear  life,  to  be 
A  benison  to  earth,  and  now, 
With  thanks,  we  give  it  back  to  Thee." 


EULOGY.  457 


XXIV. 

EULOGY  BY  HON.  NATHAN  CROSBY,  LL.D. 

HOW  shall  I  eulogize  Dr.  Charles  Jewett?  With 
whom  shall  I  compare  him?  or  where  shall 
I  look  for  a  field  of  life-labor  like  that  of  the  cause 
of  Temperance?  Shall  I  group  him  with  Edwards 
and  Marsh,  with  Delavan  and  Neal,  with  Hunt, 
Taylor,  and  Mathew,  with  Pierpont  and  Sargent? 
Shall  I  say,  and  defend  the  claim,  that  no  cause  of 
benevolence  this  side  of  the  New  Testament  gospel 
is  its  equal  in  its  love  and  good  will  to  man,  and  is, 
of  itself,  the  great  underlying  power  —  a  forerunner 
of  the  gospel?  Shall  I  say  that  no  young  man  or 
old  man,  at  his  early  day  and  all  his  days,  saw  and 
felt  the  dangers  of  the  use  of  intoxicating  drinks, 
and  the  only  way  of  escape  from  their  untold  evils, 
as  did  Dr.  Jewett?  I  think  I  can  safely  say  that  no 
man  ever  devoted,  as  he  did,  fift}^  and  more  years,  in 
a  "  Fight  with  the  Drink  Demon  ;  "  nor  has  any  man 
been  so  ably  and  thoroughly  qualified  and  equipped 
for  the  fight  as  he.   . 

He  was  an  educated  physician,  and  gave  earnest 
study  and  investigation,  professionally,  in  all  the 
hygienic  and  physiologic  influences  of  alcoholic 
liquors  upon  man.     He  believed  intoxicating  liquors, 


458  LIFE   OF  CHARLES  JEIVETT. 

used  as  a  beverage,  were  hurtful  and  dangerous, 
insidiously  and  irresistibly  forming  an  uncontrollable 
appetite  for  them ;  that  they  demented  him,  enfee- 
bled him,  demoralized  him,  unmanned  him,  changed 
his  manhood  to  brutehood,  and  from  a  blessing  to  a 
curse.       ........ 

He  brought  to  the  controversy  intelligence,  great 
conversational  powers  and  eloquence,  logic,  poetry, 
anecdote,  wit,  satire,  great  love  of  right,  of  human- 
ity, benevolence.  Christian  charity  and  faith,  unfail- 
ing zeal,  indomitable  courage  and  perseverance. 

By  day  and  by  night,  in  the  street,  the  field,  the 
shop,  and'the  school,  the  old  and  the  young,  the  rich 
and  the  poor,  the  seller  and  the  drinker,  the  tempter 
and  the  tempted,  he  admonished  and  entreated.  He 
pressed  moral  suasion  upon  them,  and  he  appealed 
to  the  law.        ....... 

Dr.  Jewett  formed  early  an  enlarged  judgment  of 
the  character  and  value  of  the  temperance  cause. 
He  was  a  temperance  man  and  worker  before  he 
studied  medicine,  but  after  he  had  been  admitted  to 
the  practice,  and  had  lectured  somewhat  upon  tem- 
perance, he  became  impressed,  by  the  exhibition  of 
anti-temperance  strength,  that  something  more  than 
taking  pledges  of  abstinence  was  wanting  to  make 
sure  progress  in  the  cause.  The  people  were  to  be 
stirred  up  to  the  examination  of  the  original  ques- 
tion. Whether  alcoholic  drinks  were  injurious  to 
men  in  health?  Want  of  professional  success  did 
not  turn  him  to  the  cause,  but  a  conviction  that  the 
physiological   aspects  of  the  case  should   be   pre- 


EULOGY. 


459 


sented  by  a  physician  whose  theories  and  opinions 
could  be  verified  by  fact  and  science. 

Dr.  Jewett's  profession  opened  to  him  the  opportu- 
nity and  duty  of  healing  diseases  by  his  skill  and 
remedies,  but  his  philanthropy  and  education  in- 
duced him  to  change  his  profession  of  healing  dis- 
eases to  preventing  them,  believing  and  knowing 
how  largely  sickness  and  death  were  chargeable  to 
intemperance. 

He  regarded  the  advocacy  of  the  cause  as  next  in 
responsibilities  and  value  to  the  mission  of  the  Sa- 
viour. .  .  .  The  noble  Christian  men  of  the  land 
had  inaugurated  the  cause,  and  prosecuted  it  with 
great  success,  down  to  the  Harrison  Gray  Otis  pe- 
tition to  the  legislature,  when  the  hosts  of  distillers, 
rumsellers,  and  drinkers  rallied  in  unexpected  num- 
bers to  defeat  wholesome  legislation  upon  the  sub- 
ject. Dr.  Jewett,  at  this  juncture,  came  to  the  front, 
by  engaging  in  the  service  of  the  Massachusetts 
Temperance  Union  in  1840.  He  was  singularly 
successful.  He  did  not  pretend  to  be  graceful,  but 
he  did  wonderfully  impress  his  hearers  with  the  con- 
viction that  he  was  master  of  his  subject.  He  pos- 
sessed peculiar  qualifications  for  a  public  speaker. 
He  had  such  command  of  every  topic  and  loature 
of  the  subject,  that  he  could  at  any  moment  vary  his 
discussion  as  he  saw  the  interest  of  his  hearers  rise 
or  fall ;  as  he  found  them  doubting  or  believing ; 
wide  awake,  or  otherwise.  He  seemed  intuitively  to 
read  the  mental  operations  of  his  hearers,  so  as  to 
amuse  or  solemnize ;  his  eyes   would   delight  and 


460  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  JEWETT. 

pierce,  but  his  frown  was  withering ;  and  his  mim- 
icry, when  called  for,  was  inimitable.  Other  men 
often  excelled  him  on  special  occasions  ;  but  the  year 
in  and  out,  no  man  in  the  enterprise  was  found  of  equal 
power  and  success.  .  .  .  The  pressure  of  public 
interest  in  the  Washingtonian,  or  Reformed  (Balti- 
more) Drunkards  enterprise,  and  the  disintegration 
of  the  Union  ranks,  which  followed,  led  Dr.  Jewett 
to  drop  his  Massachusetts  commission  only,  not  at 
all  his  mantle  or  his  zeal.  He  saw,  as  none  other 
man  did,  the  value  of  the  cause  to  the  world,  and 
that  it  must  be  successful  in  America  to  secure  its 
blessings  to  the  nations.    ..... 

He  left  only  the  ephemeral  labor  of  organizing 
societies,  addressing  cold-water  armies,  picnics,  and 
evening  talks,  and  prepared  his  able,  inimitable  lec- 
tures upon  the  physiological  questions  involved  in 
fixing  the  value  and  use  of  alcohol  by  man,  for  man, 
and  in  man.  This  became  his  great  field  of  labor. 
His  facts  were  well  put,  his  reasonings  clear  and 
pungent,  his  .anecdotes  illustrative,  but  incisive.  His 
hearers  were  certain  soon  to  forget  any  want  of  ora- 
torical grace,  in  the  fire-flashing  eye  and  varied  ex- 
pression of  his  face ;  he  gained  easily,  and  held 
strongly,  intently,  their  interest,  to  the  end  of  his 
discussion.        ....... 

Dr.  Jewett  is  eminentl}^  the  apostle  of  temperance. 
Edwards,  Marsh,  Dow,  and  others,  devoted  only  a 
few  years  to  his  many.  He  devoted  his  life,  staff  in 
hand,  with  a  pack  upon  his  back  and  sandals  on 
his  feet,  leaving  his  domestic  pleasures  behind  him, 


EULOGY.  461 


to  preach  salvation  from  Alcohol  in  all  its  forms, 
that  there  might  be  peace,  prosperity,  and  good  will 
among  men.  He  impressed  his  fearful  warning 
upon  every  town  in  Massachusetts,  and  upon  many 
of  the  states  of  our  Union,  against  the  strength  of 
the  liquor  traffic,  against  the  insidiousness  of  liquor- 
drinking,  against  the  ravages  and  degradation  of 
intemperance,  and  cried  aloud,  and  often,  and  every- 
where, that  safety  could  be  found  only  in  total  absti- 
nence from  their  use,  and  from  all  trade  in  them ; 
that  the  sharpest  vigilance  against  their  approach 
must  be  established,  and  irrepressible  efforts  used  to 
prevent  their  use  in  all  time  to  come.  He  was  a 
model  advocate  of  reform.  In  all  the  houses  of  the 
people,  where  he  found  the  prophet's  chamber  and 
guest-table,  his  conversation  was  pure  and  instruc- 
tive ;  he  had  no  doubtful  dogmas  or  ultraisms  to 
disseminate  ;  no  tares  to  sow  ;  or  gossip,  or  unkind 
innuendos  to  scatter  along  his  path.  He  w^as  social, 
chatty,  and  amusing,  turning  wdt  and  anecdote  to 
good  account;  always  leaving  behind  him  happy 
influences  and  grateful  acknowledgments,  while  re- 
ceiving plaudits  and  benedictions  from  all.  His 
years  of  labor  rolled  on  to  more  than  his  "  three- 
score years  and  ten."  When  his  frame  shook  upon 
the  weakening  foundations,  when  his  last  teaching 
and  warning  were  given,  and  his  last  steps  had  taken 
him  homeward  for  new^  strength  and  comfort,  as  had 
been  his  wont  for  fifty  years,  he  found  and  accepted 
the  reward  and  blessing  :  "  Well  done,  thou  good 
and  faithful  servant,  enter  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord." 


INDEX. 


A-cademy,  71. 

Accidents,  120,  288,  342. 

A  good  start,  17-31. 

Agent  in  R.  Island,  133  ;  in  Massachu- 
setts, 160,  310 ;  in  New  Hampshire,  20^; ; 
in  Maine,  22S ;  in  Ohio,  241,  346 ;  in  Illi- 
nois, 318  ;  in  Connecticut,  337  ;  in  Kansas, 
341 ;  in  Canada,  349. 

Agriculture,  54,  81,  103,  215,  249,  259, 
290,  292,  298;  lectures  on,  298,  302,  310, 

347* 
Alcohol,  83,  84;  medical  uses,  119,  391. 
Amusements,  89,  90,  359. 
Ancestry,  11-15. 
Animals,  fondness  for.  249. 
Artist,  36,  94,  102, 163,  164. 

Bar-room  scenes,  147,  149,  208. 

Benevolence,  178,  182, 2S3,  326,  421,  422, 
426. 

Betrothal,  91-93. 

Bible  and  Temperance,  220,  420. 

Botany,  82. 

Boyhood,  32-50;  full  of  fun,  32;  preco- 
cious, 37;  peacemaker,  38;  sympathy  for 
poor,  39  ;  great  reader,  39 ;  orator,  41  ; 
doughnuts  and  poetry,  42  ;  ingenious,  43  ; 
nail-maker,  18;  kept  eyes  open,  45;  con- 
scientious, 4S;  leaves  home,  51  ;  boy  far- 
mer, 53 ;  hard  lot,  54 ;  going  to  market, 
56;  school,  58;  preaches,  60;  wrestling, 
63  ;  returns  home,  65  ;  politeness,  67 ; 
works  in  nail-shop  at  Norwich,  68. 

Burleigh,  George  S.,  poem  by,  453. 

Burns,  Robert,  lecture  on,  191,  195. 

Ca,lkins,  Miss  Frances,  11,  73. 
Character,  personating,  143, 190-192,  194, 

196-205,  252,  345. 
Chemistry,  agricultural  professor  of,  249, 

252. 
Children,  his,  15,  316-318,  329,  331,  332, 

334.351,  427,  430;    doctor  among  them, 

357-377  ;  impressed  them,  359,  364  ;  "Cold 

Water  Army,"  361  ;  poetry  with,  363-36S  ; 

Berkshire   boy,  368 ;    child's   book,  372 ; 

Robert's  speech,  373;  the  toad,  374. 
Christian,  when  converted,  100,  441,  445, 

446. 
Church,  Dr.  Jewctt  in,  442-448  ;    when 

joining,  100;  organization  of,  182,  283  ;  and 

temperance,  441  ;  mission  of,  445  ;  spirit 

o^  446 ;  letter  of  pastor,  447. 


Cholera,  250. 

Cider,  how  abandoned,  122 ;  "  worm 
juice,"  363. 

Controversy  with  rumseller,  131  ;  in 
town  meeting,  138  ;  with  liquor  fraternity, 
136  ;  with  distiller,  243. 

Conversation,  remarkable,  401,  403,  404, 
410. 

Courage,  arrest  of  rumseller,  142  ;  visit- 
ing rumseller,  175  ;  facing  one  in  Maine, 
233  ;  of  reformer,  40S. 

Critics,  not  mark  for,  423. 

Crosby,  Hon.  Nathan,  457-462. 

Cuyler,  3S0. 

Death,  451 ;  how  received,  452 ;  poem  ou, 

453-. 
Dentist,  made  tools,  99  ;  pulling  squaw's 

tooth,  278. 
Distiller,  136,  243. 
Dow,  Hon.  Neal,  228,  236. 
Drunkard  Carey  saved,  178 ;  personating, 

203  ;  Davis  saved,  326. 
Duty,  sense  of,  8. 

East  Greenwich,  begins  medical  prac- 
tice at,  lOI. 

Editor,  167,  349,  365. 
Eulogy,  457-462. 

Faith,  178,  1S2,  2S7. 
Family,  15,  253,  257,  425-441;  letters  to. 
443  :  last  words  with,  449 ;  last  devotionf 
^in,  451- 
Ferguson,  45. 
Financial  basis,  164,  327. 
Freedom,  friend  o^  312-314. 
Funeral,  450-456. 

Garrison.  William  Lloyd,  97,  98. 
Gough,  John  B.,  177,  315. 
Government,   family,  427;  order,   438 

literary,  430. 

Hawkins,  John,  236. 
Home,  leaves,  50  ;  returns  to,  66. 
Homestead,  Jewett,  17-19. 
Horticulture,  82,  103,  291,  298. 
Hospitality,  219. 
Humanity,  17S,  326,419. 


Indians,  273,  275,  277-279. 


4^3 


464 


INDEX. 


Intoxicating  beverages,  76,  83,  104-106, 

122. 

Introduction,  5-10. 

Jewett,  Edward,  11. 
Jewett,  grandfather,  11. 
Jowett,  father,  12,  17,  i3,  23. 
Jewett,  mother,  24,  25. 

Latin,  study  of,  73,  74. 

Leaving  home,  si-65. 

Lecturer,  temperance,  no,  113,  122,  133, 
136,  184  ;  invited  to  England,  307,  328, 
343t  352  ;  in  lecture  field,  378  ;  subjects, 
385 ;  plans,  387. 

Legislator,  306. 

Leisure  hours,  70. 

Letters  from  missionary,  181;  citizen  of  N., 
183  ;  Rev.  W.  S.  Leavitt,  184 ;  R.  A.  Mott, 
193  ;  Dr.  Griggs,  222  ;  Neal  Dow,  236, 
383  ;  to  Mrs.  J.,  261,  265,  3';o;  to  Dr.  J., 
262  ;  from  Dr.  J.,  284 :  Dr.  W.  Humphrey, 
307;  Gov.  Yates,  334;  R.  D.  Parker, 
342;  Dr.  Cordley,  343;  Dr.  Cuyler,  380; 
J.  B.  Gough,  382  ;  Julia  Colman,  384. 

License,  liquor,  129  ;  fifteen-gallon  law, 
161,  211,  216. 

Life,  remarkable  period,  8 ;  full  of  inci- 
dent, 9. 

Lisbon,  25. 

Marriage,  109. 
Massachusetts,  call  to,  159. 
Mechanic,  43>  99.  i'^3>  121,  184,  301,  304, 


jit^'"-- 


Eedical  profession,  73,  81,  94,  98,  loi  ; 

abandons,  127. 
Meeting-house,  27. 
Millbury,  221. 
Mimicry,  86,  87,  152,  203,  345. 
Moderate  drinking,  171,  239. 

Nelson,  Rev.  Levi,  26,  28,  73. 
Newton,  44,  166;  church  organized,  182; 
speedy  fruits,  185. 

"  Old  Buck,"  83. 

Opposition,  107, 113, 114, 116,  124,  134. 
Oration,    July   4,    1852,   Portland,  234; 
Minnesota,  265. 

Physical  labor,  74,  126. 

Physician,  117,  118,  121, 151,  214. 

Pioneer  life,  259,  260,  268,  270,  272. 

Poet,  140. 

Poverty,  49,  159,  350. 

Prayers,  137,  210. 

Preaching,  60,  281,355. 

Presents,  215,  315,  316;  Cambridge,  353, 

-,354-  , 

Prohibition,  162,  394. 
Providence,  R.  I.,  133,  134. 
Providential,  154. 

Reader,  public,  192-194, 196,  306,  364* 
Reading  books,  39, 68,  70,  88,  117,  121, 
378. 


Rebellion,  315-318,320;  war  letters,  320* 
324  ;  sons'  letters,  329 ;  a  son  killed,  331 ; 
a  son  wounded, 332. 

Reformer,  prejudice  against,  173;  model, 
413-424- 

Rumseller  reformed,  132;  imprisoned, 
142  ;  deceived,  143  ;  confounded,  149  ;  in 
the  church,  176  ;  addresses  them  in  prison, 
218;  in  Maine,  233  ;  discussion  with,  241, 
344>  395- 

Sabbath,  22,  28,  104, 109. 
Sabbath  School,  88,  115,  257,  281.  347. 
School,  attending,    36,    38,  72,94;  teach- 
ing, 2S0  ;  in  Chicago,  325. 
Shakespeare,  lecture  on,  191. 
Sickness,  448  ;  news  of  spread,  452. 
Singing  master,  116. 
Smith,  Sydney,  the  doctor,  like  him,  7. 
Speeches,  extracts  from,  3(50-400. 
Stage  driver  and  water,  225;  and  rum,  226, 
Submission,  351,  450. 
Sufferings,  449- 
Surgeon,  120,  137,  278,305. 

Table-Talk,  401-412. 

Tact,  167,  171,  174,  202,  227,  273,  256,  274, 

305, 414- 
Temperance,  early  mterest,  77;  first 
poem,  78;  first  society  joined,  80;  alco- 
holic theory  false,  83;  trial  at  mowing,  84; 
Dr.  Hewett's  lecture,  96;  first  temperance 
work,  104;  opposition,  107;  first  lecture, 
no;  Ben  Jonson,  114;  alcohol  in  medi- 
cine,  119  J  first  extemporaneous  lecture. 

rT,^34- 

Tennessee,  347. 

The  Striped  Pig,  163. 

Tobacco,  300. 

Tracy  family  genealogy,  13,  14. 

Versatility,  6. 

\A/ebster,  Daniel,  interview,  379. 

Westward,  248 ;  Batavia,  ill.,  249 ;  fur- 
ther west,  258  ;  in  Minnesota,  259  ;  letters 
to  Mrs.  J.,  261. 

"Wine,  how  abandoned,  114. 

"Wit,  147,  149,  205,  208,  219,  229,282,  365, 
405,  406,  416. 

Woonsocket  bar-room  scene,  147. 

"Worship,  182, 185,  224,  257,  280;  house 
of,  2S3,  347. 

"Wrestling,  63, 126. 

"Writings,  poem  at  18,  79  ;  lines  to  L., 
92;  address  to  retailers,  128;  rumsellers' 
levee,  130 ;  tavern  sign,  139 ;  "  Crack  up," 
14/  ;  A  Dream,  151  ;  poem  for  times,  156; 
temperance  lyrics,  1S6  ;  mission  of  love, 
188;  apostrophe  to  the  Merrimack,  189; 
speeches  and  miscellaneous  works,  216; 
visit  to  spirits  in  prison,  229  ;  temperance 
cause,  327  ;  forty  years'  fight  with  Drink 
Demon,  349  ;  harvest  of  rum,  354  ;  youth's 
temperance  lecturer,  372;  grandpa,  373  j 
the  ambitious  toad,  376. 


PUBLICATIONS  OF  JAMES  H.  EARLE,  BOSTON.     5 

illustrations  are  as  characteristic  of  the  humor  and  originality  of 
childhood,  as  is  the  story  itself. 

Aunt  Tabitha's  Trial.  By  L.  O.  Cooper.  i2mo. 
With  full  page  illustrations.  Elegantly  bound  in 
cloth,  gold  and  ink.     $1.25 

Fresh  and  pure  as  a  mountain  stream,  and  as  charming  for  the 
beauty  and  freshness  of  its  style,  as  for  its  sweet  and  helpful  les- 
sons. All  in  all  it  ranks  among  the  most  fascinating  stories  of  the 
year  and  can  be  read  by  no  person,  old  or  young,  without  charm 
and  suggestion,  and  stimulus  to  better  living. 

Abiding  Peace.  By  Rev.  A.  B.  Earle,  d.  d.  i6mo. 
Cloth,  extra.     Gold  side  and  back  stamp.     50  cts. 

"  This  beautifully  published  volume  is  written  in  a  clear  and 
calm  style,  and  is  a  persuasive  statement  of  the  believer's  birth- 
right."— Zio7i's  Herald,  Boston. 

All  Things.  By  Frances  Ridley  Havergal.  Cloth. 
25  cts. 

One  of  the  most  suggestive  and  helpful  of  the  many  works  of 
this  very  popular  author. 

After  the  Battle.  Ber  dozen,  20  cts.  Per  hundred, 
$1.25. 

A  story  of  the  war,  making  clear  and  simple  the  way  of  pardon 
and  peace. 

Are  These  Things  So?  By  Rev.  Emory  J.  Haynes, 
pastor  Tremont  Temple,  Boston.  i6mo.  Cloth, 
$1.00. 


Any  Book  mailed  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price. 


6   PUBLICATIONS  OF  JAMES  H.  EARLE,  BOSTON, 

ANDREWS,  REV.  EMERSON. 
Pearls  of  Worlds.    $i.oo. 
Living  Life.    $i.oo. 
Revival  Sermons,    ^i.oo. 
Travels,  in  Bible  Lands.    60  cts. 
Youth's  Picture  Sermons.    50  cts. 
Revival  Songs.    40  cts. 

Beulah    Land.      By  Mrs.  M.  Carter.      Handsome 
i6mo.     Portrait  and  illustrations.     $1.00. 

This  autobiographical  volume  is  the  thrilling  story  of  a  life  of 
faith  that  shows  the  spirit  and  devotion  of  the  old-time  men  and 
women  of  faith  to  be  as  mighty  to  mould  character  as  ever.  It  is 
a  book  for  hours  of  religious  devotion,  and  will  give  the  reader 
inspiration  and  instruction. 

Beyond.      By    Hervey    Newton.    .  Elegant    square 
i6mo.     Laid  paper.     Cloth.     60  cts. 

A  presentation  of  the  known  facts  of  the  conditions,  occupa- 
tions and  characteristics  of  the  world  beyond. 
We  can  best  describe  its  character  by  an 

EXTRACT  FROM  THE  PREFACE. 

The  pictures  and  descriptions  given  by  Revelation  of  the  coun- 
try "  Beyond,"  are  full  enough  to  show  it  superior  to  the  most  fav- 
ored bits  of  Eden  of  which  this  world  knows.  A  real  land,  with 
homes,  music,  personal  recognition,  freedom  from  sorrow  and 
from  sin,  the  society  of  the  Lord  himself.  They  show  the  life 
there  to  have  many  of  the  conditions  and  pleasures  that  give  this 


Any  Book  mailed  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price* 


PUBLICATIONS  OF  JAMES  H.  EARLE,  BOSTON,    7 

world  its  chief  charm,  with  none  of  the  infirmities,  and  with  many 
added  enjoyable  conditions. 

An  author  widely  known  in  the  Old  World  and  the  New,  says : 
'•Those  who  doubt  the  recognition  of  friends  in  heaven  should 
read  'BEYOND  '  1  Those  who  do  not  doubt,  but  want  confirma- 
tion of  their  belief  should  read  *  BEYOND  ' !  1  Those  who  mourn 
dear  ones  gone  before,  and  long  for  a  realizing  sense  of  the  joys 
and  occupations  of  the  departed  should  read  *  BEYOND  Mil 
This  book  is  a  poem,  not  in  rhyme  and  metre,  but  in  lofty  senti- 
ment, glowing  imagery,  and  beauty  of  expression.  It  is  a  gem  in 
clearness,  purity  and  brilliancy.  It  is  a  book  of  fervent  devotion, 
of  holy  love,  and  of  the  comfort  of  the  Holy  Ghost.'* 

J  "  Its  pages  do  for  the  reader  what  the  pen  pictures  of  travelers 
in  the  East  do  for  people  at  home.'' — Central  Baptist,  St.  Louis. 

"  The  book  is  excellent,  and  will  help  the  Christian  citizen  on 
his  way  to  his  new  country," — The  Evangelist,  New  York. 

"  Devoutly  and  impressively  written  and  will  afford  rich  subjects 
for  meditations."    Zion's  Herald,  Boston. 

Better  Life  (The)  and  How  to  Find  It.   By  Rev.  E. 
P.  Hammond.     i6mo.     Cloth.     50  cts. 

For  young  men  and  women  who  have  not  realized  the  peace 
and  joy  there  is  in  believing  in  Jesus. 

"  Young  ministers  who  are  seeking  to  learn  what  manner  of 
presentation  of  Gospel  truth  is  most  likely  to  be  blessed  of  God, 
will  do  well  to  study  this  book." — The  Revival. 

Between  Times.     By  I.  E.  Diekenga,     "The  Ameri- 
can Dickens."  Cloth,  gold  and  black.    i6mo.  75  cts. 

In  this  breezy  volume  of  story,  sketch,  and  poem,  Mr.  Diekenga 
has  satire  for  folly  and  meaness,  humor  for  the  ludicrous,  and 
tender  charity  for  adversity  and  helplessness. 


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8    PUBLICATIONS  OF  JAMES  H.  EARLEy  BOSTON. 

"  We  have  not  seen  among  recent  publications  a  fresher, 
sprightlitr,  or  more  original  book.  There  is  not  a  dull  page  in 
the  book.  The  author  has  come  to  be  known  as  the  "  American 
Dickens,"  and  is  master  of  verse  as  well  as  prose." —  Western  Re- 
corder,  Lotnsvilley  Ky. 

Bible  Teachings  from  Nature.    By  Rev.  J.  Byington 
Smith,  d.  d.     i2mo.     Cloth.     $1.50. 

The  author  has  happily  conceived  the  idea  of  making  the  world 
with  its  charm  and  grandeur,  the  interpreter  of  Revelation,  with 
its  comfort  for  human  souls  and  light  for  human  feet.  Lovers  of 
the  forms  and  graces  in  which  the  earth  bedecks  itself,  and  Bible 
students  will  alike  find  delight  in  these  charming  pages. 

"  The  author  writes  like  one  who  loves  the  Bible,  and  who  finds 
in  it  mines  of  wealth  for  the  intellect  as  well  as  the  heart." — Sar- 
atoga Daily  Journal. 

**  In  a  charming  manner  Dr.  Smith  brings  the  beauty  and  won- 
der of  earth  and  sky  to  light  up  the  Word." — Journal  and  Mes- 
senger, 

Bible  Studies  and  Life  of  Rev.  George  F.  Pentecost. 

Edited  by  P.  C.  Headley,  under  Mr.  Pentecost's 
supervision.  Extra  large.  12 mo.  Cloth.  With 
Portrait.     $1.50. 

Mr.  Pentecost's  Bible  readings,  are  valuable  to  all  lovers  of 
God's  Word. 

Bringing  in  Sheaves.    By  Rev.  A.  B.  Earle,  d.  d. 

With  Portrait.     i2mo.     Cloth.     $1.25. 

This  work,  crowded  with  sketches,  incidents,  helps  and  lessons, 
from  the  author's  long  experience,  is  invaluable  to  all  who  would 
be  successful  workers  for  Christ.     It  also  contains  four  of  his 


Any  Book  mailed  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price. 


10  PUBLICATIONS  OF  JAMES  H.  EARLE,  BOSTON. 

sermons,  a  single  one  of  which  is  believed  to  have  been  the  means 
of  bringing  twenty  thousand  souls  to  Christ. 

"  Nothing  has  for  a  long  time  been  published,  better  adapted  to 
arouse  holy  zeal  in  the  cause  to  Christ." — Methodist^  New  York. 

*'  One  of  the  most  remarkable  books  ever  given  to  the  public." 
—  Western  Recorder^  Louisville. 

Calls  to  Christ.     By  Rev.  W.  R.  Nicoll,  m.  a.    i6mo. 
Cloth.     40  cts. 

Designed  for  Christian  workers  in  leading  to  the  awakening  and 
conveision  of  the  unconverted. 

"  Full  of  simple,  solemn,  searching  truths."  —  Presbyterian 
Monthly. 

Can  I  Find  Jesus?     By  S.  G.  Knight.     Per  dozen,  10 
cts.    Per  hundred,  60  cts. 

Charles  Jewett,  Life  and  Recollections.    By  Wm.  m. 

Thayer,    author   of    "  From   Log  Cabin  to   White 
House,"  etc.     With  Steel  Portrait.     i2mo.     $1.00 

Dr.  Jewett's  brilliant  talents,  his  wit  and  humor,  and  his  conse- 
cration to  the  work,  gave  him  the  foremost  place  among  temperance 
workers  at  home  and  abroad.  In  reducing  the  price  from  $1.50 
to  $1.00,  we  seek  for  it  the  widest  circulation  in  this  time  of  spe- 
cial temperance  activity. 

"  Immensely  entertaining,"— i?^.  T.  L.  Cuyler,  D.  D.,  in  N.  Y. 
Evangelist. 

"Every  page  is  aglow, making  the  book  throughout  as  interest- 
ing as  a  novel." — Christian  Mirror,  Portland. 


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12  PUBLICATIONS  OF  JAMES  H.  EARLE,  BOSTON. 

Capital  for  "Working  Boys.  A  Book  for  boys  in  any 
condition,  rich  or  poor.  By  Mrs.  Julia  E.  M'Con- 
AUGHY.  "  Log  Cabin  to  White  House  "  Series.  Il- 
lustrated. Handsome  i2mo.  Silk  cloth ;  profuse- 
ly ornamented  in  Gold  and  Ink.     $i.oo 


This  is  a  genuine  boy's  book, 
suited  alike  to  poor  and  rich.  Every 
parent,  anxious  to  see  his  son  rise 
to  manliness,  honor,  and  usefulness, 
every  young  man  who  desires  to 
make  the  most  of  himself,  and  all 
who  desire  to  read  a  book  of  practi- 
cal helpfulness,  will  do  well  to  ob- 
tain this  volume  on  the  conduct  of 
life. 

"  It  is  one  of  the  books  that  will 
be  read  and  re-read,  and  shape  char- 
acter and  action  for  life." — Advocate 
and  Guardian^  N,  Y. 


"It  enforces  those  principles  that  are  the  key-note  of  success. 
It  is  almost  impossible  for  an  employer  to  confer  a  greater  bene- 
fit, upon  any  clerk  than  to  present  him  with  this  book." — Ameri- 
can Grocer ^  N.  Y. 

Charles  Sumner.  By  Wm.  L.  Cornell,  ll.d.,  and 
Bishop  Gilbert  Haven,  d.  d.  With  the  leading  Eu- 
logies.    Illustrated.     12  mo.     Cloth.     $1.50. 

These  eulogies,  by  the  leading  men  of  the  nation,  are  master- 
pieces of  thought  and  expression  ;  invaluable  to  every  profes- 
sional man,  student,  and  public  speaker. 


Any  Book  mailed  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price. 


14  PUBLICATIONS  OF  JAMES  H.  EARLE,  BOSTON 

Character  (Building  A).For  young  men.  By  A.  p.  Pea^ 
BODY,  D.  D.,  LL.D.,  Piofessor  o£  Thcology,  Harvard 
College.     Elegant  square  i8mo.     Cloth.     30  cts. 

"  No  words  can  well  overstate  the  excellence  of  this  volume."— 
Morning  Star^  Boston. 

"Many  whole  libraries  have  no  more  of  real  value  in  them  than 
these  ^2igts:'—Congregationalist,  Boston. 

"  Marked  with  the  grace  and   culture   of  this  widely  known 
scholar." —  Vu/e  Courant. 

Cottage  to  Castle.  The  boyhood,  youth,  manhood,  old 
age  and  death  of  Gutenburg,  and  the  fascinating 
story  of  his  skill,  faith,  perseverance  and  triumph  in 
the  discovery  and  use  of  the  art  of  printing.  By 
Mrs.  E.  C.  Pearson,  author  of  "  Ruth's  Sacrifice," 
"Our  Parish,"  etc.,  etc.  Elegant  i2mo,  fully  illus- 
trated. $1.25.  Gilt  edges,  $1.75.  Library  Edi- 
tion, $2.00 

"The  history  is  one  full  of  romance  and  well  io\d:'— Harper's 
Magazine. 

"The  story  of  Gutenburg^s  trials,  is  most  graphically  told."— 
Boston  Traveller. 

"  Clear,  comprehensive  and  impressive."— X//^^tfry  World. 

Don't  Spend  Your  Money  for  Rum.    Words  and 
music  by  Mrs.  M.  Carter.     Quarto.     25  cts. 
A  touching  story  in  verse,  set  to  music  and  accompaniment, 

suited  to  temperance  gatherings  and  the  fireside. 

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1 6  PUBLICATIONS  OF  JAMES  H.  EARLE,  BOSTON. 

Dollars  and  Duty.  By  Emory  J.  Haynes,  Pastor  of 
Tremont  Temple,  Boston.  Large  i2mo.,  of  over  456 
pages.  Cloth.  Richly  embellished  in  gold  and  ink 
designs.     ^1.50. 

*'  A  quaint  and  interesting  story,  given  with  fidelity  to  all  sides 
of  human  nature,  and  specially  well  told." — The  Criticy  New 
York. 

"  Characterized  by  the  brilliancy  and  vigor  and  beauty  which 
distinguish  the  public  utterances  of  the  author." — The  Interior^ 
Chicago, 

"  Written  with  a  grace  and  charm  that  cannot  fail  to  attract 
attention." — Journal  of  Education^  Boston. 

"  Dramatically  and  eloquently  written." — Zion^s  Herald^  Boston. 

**  We  wish  every  young  man  in  the  country  could  read  this  ad- 
mirable book." — Central  Baptist^  St.  Louis. 

"  A  charming  book  upon  vital  and  significant  phases  of  our  so- 
cial and  religious  life." — The  Standard ^  Chicago. 

"The  new  work  by  the  pastor  of  Tremont  Temple  reminds  one 
forcibly  of  a  book  which  was  very  popular  a  quarter  of  a  century 
ago,  entitled  "  Life  in  a  Country  Parsonage,"  and  which  wrung 
tears  from  many  an  eye  which  is  old  now.  Its  title,  'Dollais 
and  Duty,'  declares  its  character  immediately.  A  young  man, 
the  son  of  a  clergyman,  has  presented  to  him  the  choice  between 
a  princely  fortune  and  the  ministry  of  God.  He  chooses  the 
latter,  but  it  seems  to  be  a  case  in  which  the  Scriptural  prophecy, 
*  Seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  all  these  things  shall  be 
added  unto  you,'  is  fulfilled,  as  the  wealth  comes  to  him  with  his 
wife.  The  story  is  charmingly  written,  reminding  one,  in  its  re- 
ligious tone,  and  sharp,  terse  sentences,  of  the  writings  of  the 
late  William  M.  Baker."— Z>a//j/  Globe^  Boston. 

Dot.    By  Annie  Lucas,  author  of   "  Nobody^s   Dar- 


Any  Book  mailed  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price. 


i8  PUBLICATIONS  OF  JAMES  H.  EARLE,  BOSTON. 

ling,"  "City   and   Castle,"  etc.     With   twelve   full- 
page  illustrations.  Handsomely  bound.  Cloth.  $1.25. 

An  inimitable  story  of  life  in  the  great  city.  For  its  truthful- 
ness to  life,  originality  and  tenderness,  mingled  with  light  and 
shade,  the  book  will  be  read  with  absorbing  interest. 

EAELE,  A.  B.,  D.  D, 
The  Morning  Hour.    Octavo.    Cloth.    $2.00. 
Bringing  in  Sheaves.    i2mo.    Cloth.    $1.25. 
Abiding  Peace.    i6mo.    Cloth.    50  cts. 
Rest  of  Faith.    iSmo.    Cloth.    40  cts. 
Sought-out-Songs.    25  cts. 
The  Humai  Will.    i8mo.    Cloth.    25  cts. 
Work  of  an  Evangelist.    i8mo.    Cloth.    25  cts. 
Title  Examined.    i8mo.    Cloth.    25  cts. 
Two  Sermons.     i8mo.     Cloth.    25  cts. 
Revival  Hymns.    i8mo.    Cloth.    25  cts. 

For  Eternity.     Per  hundred,  ^1.50. 

Growing,  Because  Abiding.    Per  hundred,  $1.50. 

Why  Not  Now?     32mo.     Per  hundred,  $1.25 
Evidences  cf  Conversion.    Per  hundred,  60  cts. 

Eva's  Physician,     By    the    author    of    "Lessons    of 
Trust."     Per  dozen,  35  cts;  per  hundred,  $2.00. 


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20  PUBLICATIONS  OF  JAMES  H.  EARLE,  BOSTON-. 

Prom  Log  Cabin  to   White   House.    By  Wm.  M. 

Thayer,  author  "  Tact,  Push,  and  Principle,"  etc. 
Elegant  12 mo,  of  nearly  500  pages.  With  portrait 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Garfield,  his  mother,  and  other  illus- 
trations.    Gold  and  black  designs.     ^1.50. 

This  work  is  the  one  popular  life  of  President  Garfield,  for 
young  and  old,  in  steady  demand. 

"It  is  because  all  this  is  made  very  clear  in  this  life  of  Presi- 
dent Garfield,  that  we  predict  for  this  literary  venture  an  im,* 
mense  success." — London  Literaty  World. 

"  I  know  of  nothing  in  the  whole  range  of  Sunday-school  liter- 
ature so  fitted  to  be  helpful  to  our  American  youth  as  *  From 
Log  Cabin  to  White  House.'  "—Warren  Randolph,  D.D.,  Sec.  oj 
the  International  S.  S.  Committee. 

From  Pioneer  Home  to  White  House.    The  life  of 

Abraham  Lincoln.  By  Wm.  M.  Thayer,  author  of 
'•  Log  Cabin  to  White  House,"  etc.  Elegant  i2mo. 
Illustrated.  Uniform  with  the  other  volumes  of  this 
notable  series.     $1.50. 

The  charm  and  inspiration  of  President  Lincoln's  character, 
portrayed  by  this  popular  writer,  make  this  a  volume  of  special 
value  to  young  and  old. 

From  Tannery  to  the  White  House.    The  Life  and 

Memoirs  of  Gen  U.  S.  Grant — his  boyhood,  man- 
hood, personal    history,  public    life,   sickness,  and 


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PUBLICATIONS  OF  JAMES  H.  EARLE,  BOSTON.  21 

death.  By  Wm.  M.  Thayer.  Companion  volume 
to  his  famous  family  life  of  Garfield,  "From  Log 
Cabin  to  White  House,"  of  which  over  250,000 
copies  have  already  been  sold.  Elegant  12 mo,  of 
nearly  500  pages.  Illustrated  with  portraits,  scenes, 
and  places.  Fine  cloth,  profusely  ornamented. 
$1.50. 

This  work  supplements  for  family  use,  for  old  and  young,  the 
voluminous  work  by  General  Grant,  which,  with  its  records  of 
his  public  life,  goes  into  the  libraries,  while  this  is  read  at  the 
fireside. 

"  This  work,  written  in  a  very  absorbing  style,  is  an  unfolding 
of  the  entire  life  ".of  the  great  General,  from  birth  to  death."  The 
Morning  Siar,  Boston. 

"' From  Tannery  to  the  White  House'  is  destined  for  family 
circle  reading,  and  will  doubtless  be  as  popular  as  the  author's 
'  Log  Cabin  to  White  House.' "  St.  Paul  ( Minn. )  Pioneer 
Press. 

"  Of  Mr.  Thayer's  *  Life  of  Garfield  *  a  quarter  of  a  million 
copies  have  already  been  sold.  This  volume  will  probably  ex- 
ceed in  popularity  its  predecessors.  Mr.  Thayer's  books  sell 
without  puffing,  requiring  only  a  public  announcement."  Zion's 
Herald y  Boston. 

For    Eternity.     By   Rev.  a.  B.  Earle,  d.  d.     3  2 mo. 
Per  dozen,  25  cts;  per  hundred  $1.50. 

A  new  and  searching  appeal  to  prepare  and  work  for  eternity. 


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PUBLICATIONS  OF  JAMES  H.  EARLE,  BOSTON.  23 

vealed  by  Jehovah  for  the  guidance  of  believers  in  the  minutest 
affairs  of  the  daily  life,  and  the  clear  apprehension  of  His 
will. 

"  This  volume  is  the  very  marrow  of  the  gospel.  It  will  en- 
rich every  reader  and  is  a  delightful  companion." — Church 
Union. 

Grandmama's  Letters  from  Japan.    By  Mrs.  Mary 

pRUYN.     Illustrated.     i6mo.     Cloth.     $1.00. 

Mrs.  Pruyn,  one  of  the  leading  ladies  of  ^Albany,  in  social  po- 
sition and  benevolent  enterprise,  was  widely  known  for  her  work 
in  Japan.  These  letters  should  be  in  every  home  and  Sunday- 
school  library. 

"  Mrs.  Pruyn  was  a  close  and  intelligent  observer." — Evening 
yournal,  Aibaiiy. 

Growing  Because   Abiding.    By  Rev.  A.  B.  Earle, 

D.D.     New  and  revised  edition.     32mo.     Per  dozen 
25  cts.     Per  hundred  $1.50, 

HAYNES,  REV.  EMORY  J. 
Dollars  and  Duty.   $1.50. 
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HAMMOND,  REV.  E.  P. 
Harvest  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  ismo.  Cloth.  |i. 
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Jesus,  the  Lamb  of  God.    i6mo.    Cloth.    60  cts. 


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24  PUB  Lie  A  TIONS  OF  JAMES  H.  EARLE,  BOSTON. 


Little  Ones  in  tlie  Fold.  i6mo.  Cloth.  50  cts. 
Better  Life  and  How  to  Find  It.  i6mo.  Cloth,  sects. 

Hand  Book  of  Revivals.  By  Rev.  H.  C.  Fish,  d.  d., 
author  of  *'  History  of  Pulpit  Eloquence,"  etc.  i2mo. 
Cloth,  gilt  and  black.     $1.50. 

A  manual  for  successful  revival  work, — indications,  hindrances, 
objections,  means  and  methods;  preaching,  prayer,  and  singing; 
evangelists,  inquirers,  converts,  Sunday-schools,  etc.,  etc. 

"  The  best  book  on  revivals,  for  its  specific  uses  as  a  hand- 
book, we  have  seen.  Wise  in  counsel,  practical  in  aims." — Chris- 
tian Intelligencer^  New  York. 

"  More  complete  and  judicious  than  any  work  hitherto  pro- 
duced on  this  great  subject." — Christiaii  at  IVork^  New  Yvrk. 

Harvest  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit.    By  Rev.   P.  C. 

Headley,  author  of  "  Women  of  the  Bible,"  etc,  etc. 
i2mo.     Cloth.     Si.oo. 

Suggestive  of  revival  methods,  as  illustrated  in  Rev.  E.  P. 
Hammond's  labors  in  England,  Scotland,  and  America. 

"The  record  is  one  of  great  interest." — The  Observer ^  New 
York. 

Havergal  (Miss  Havergal's)  Story.    Compiled  from 

her  Letters,  Diaries,  and  other  writings,  by  L.  B.  E., 
author  of  "Lessons  of  Trust,"  etc.,  etc.  Elegant 
i2mo.     Cloth.     Red  edges.     60  cts. 

Miss  Havergal's  popularity  and  influence,  have  for  their  key, 
her  symmetrical  Christian  life  and  character.     This  runs  through 


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PUB  Lie  A  TIONS  OF  JAMES  H.  EARLE,  BOSTON.  27 

HEADLEY,  REV.  P.  0. 
Harvest  Work  of  the  H0I7  Spirit.    $1.00. 
Bible  Headings   and  Life   of  Geo.   F.  Pentecost. 

Edited  under  Mr.  Pentecost's  supervision.     $1.50. 

History  of  the  Temperance  Crusade.  By  Mrs. 
Annie  Wittenmyer.  Octavo.  Over  800  pages. 
Illustrated.  Cloth.  $2.50.  Full  gilt,  ^3.00.  Library 
edition,  half  morocco.     $3.50. 

A  thrilling  record  of  woman's  consecration,  self-sacrifice,  and 
courage.  Mrs.  Wittenmyer,  as  a  leader  of  the  temperance  army 
of  women,  has  given  the  public  such  a  book  as  can  hardly  be  sur- 
passed. 

"In  some  respects  it  rivals  'Uncle  Tom's  Cabin.'" — The 
Christian  W@man,  Phila. 

"  A  record  of  one  of  the  most  wonderful  movements  in  the 
world's  history." — Cleveland  Earnest  Christian. 

Home  and  Country  (Poems  of ).    By   Prof.  Jas.   A. 

Martling,  the  California  poet.    Large  12  mo.  Illus- 
trated.    Nearly  600  pages.     $2.00. 

Prof.  Martling  writes  with  rare  grace  and  beauty,  and  his  poems 
include  almost  every  topic  of.  heart  and  life,  home,  nature,  love 
and  duty,  country  and  city. 

"  I  think  the  Professor's  verses  very  striking  and  beautiful 
and  the  lines  (referring  to  his  poem  on  Death)  exquisitely  fin 
ished."—  Wendell  Phillips. 

Hon.  Wm.  E.  Gladstone  says  of  his  translation  of  the  first 
book  of  the  Iliad,  "  It  seems  to  me  to  do  him  great  credit." 


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30  PUBLICATIONS  OF  JAMES  H.  EARLE,  BOSTON. 

Lessons  of  Trust.  By  L.  B.  E.,  author  of  "  The  Jewel 
Found,'*  "  How  I  Found  Jesus,"  etc.  Elegant  i6mo. 
Cloth,  red  edges,  75  cts.     Full  calf,  $2.00. 

Comparatively  few  are  the  authors  who  have  so  large  a  circle 
of  readers.  "  Lessons  of  Trust  "  is  marked  by  the  same  clear 
apprehension  of  Spiritual  things,  as  this  author's  other  works, 
and  takes  its  place  with  the  devotional  books  that  are  kept  at 
hand  to  give  comfort  and  direction  in  the  hours  of  trouble,  or 
question,  or  temptation. 

"A  sweet  and  comforting  book." — The 
Advance^  Chicago.  ' 

"  Admirably  adapted  to  help  those  who 
are  inclined  to  look  on  the  dark  side.  Well 
written  and  beautiful  in  form,  a  most  ap- 
propriate gift-book."  —  The  Journal  and 
Messenger^  Cincinnati. 

" '  Lessons  of  trust*  is  a  very  handsomely- 
published  religious  gem.  From  significant 
initial  letters,  we  suppose  the  volume  is 
from  the  pen  of  the  accomplished  and  devout  wife  of  the  pub- 
lisher. It  is  a  delightful  and  profitable  manual  for  hours  of  medi- 
tation."*— Zions  Herald,  Boston. 

Life,  Letters,  and  Wayside  Gleanings.  By  Mrs. 
B.  H.  Crane.  Octavo.  Cloth.  With  Portrait, 
$2.00. 

Mrs.  Crane,  as  the  gifted  wife  of  a  former  prominent  New 
England  pastor,  gives  not  only  the  history  of  a  family  and  a  life, 
but  she  has  interwoven  recollections  of  the  olden  time,  incidents 
and  lessons  of  great  interest  and  value,  in  her  own  matchless 
style,  which  is  the  very  soul  of  poetry  itself. 

"A  charming  book  for  the  home  and  fireside." — JVafchman, 
Boston. 


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PUBLICATIONS  OF  JAMES  H.  EARLE,  BOSTON.  31 


Log  Cabin  to  White  House  Series.    These  volumes, 

desigiied  especially  for  young  men  and  women,  boys 

and  girls,  but  alike 
fascinating  to  all 
ages  and  classes, 
have  reached  an  ag- 
gregate sale  of  over 

300,000   copies. 

This  series  is  uni- 
formly and  sumptu- 
ously bound  in  fine 
cloth ;  richly  embel- 
lished in  gold  and 
black.    The  six  vol- 


umes put  up  in  a  neat  boX; 


I.  From  Log  Cabin  to  White  House.    By  Wm.  M. 

Thayer.     The   life   of    James  A.   Garfield,  with 
portrait  and  illustrations. 

"  Will  fascinate  old  and  ^o\xngy— Manchester,  {N.  H.)  News. 

A  better  biography  for  boys   was   never   printed," — London 
Christian. 

II,  From  Tannery  to  White  House.     By  Wm.  m. 

Thayer.     The  life  of  Ulysses  S.  Grant,  with  por- 
trait and  illustrations. 

"  A  work  of  solid  merit,  and  likely  to  achieve  as  wide  popu- 
larity as  the  companion  volume." — London  Jewish  World. 


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